The Death of Reason II
by Pulchrite
Summary: Yoh rediscovers his strength in unexpected places. Sacrifices become necessary, and a path is made evident as he discovers the connection between invincibility and vulnerability. T: violence, light sensuality
1. Storm

**Storm**

The rain beat against the roof steadily and poured onto the windows like a fall. Darkness consumed most of the evening sky but revealed a slight remnant of the moon. All was quiet with the exception of the steady downpour. The house was eerily silent, as if empty as she tiptoed softly down the hallway. After walking for a few moments she abruptly halted her pace and stood in front of the large bedroom door. Without much hesitation, she opened the door as gently as possible and stepped inside, closing it behind her. Taking a few steps into the center, she exhaled deeply and clutched her hands tightly at her sides. She took a few moments to breathe in the stale air and then sat down on the floor with her legs neatly crossed underneath her. The rhythmic pattering against the side of the house didn't bother her as she stared blankly at the wall in front of her. The bedroom was completely bare, isolating her into a cage of loneliness as she breathed steadily. Although she made a promise to herself months ago, there was something in the room she couldn't turn away from. She exhaled slowly through her mouth and stared out of the window for a few moments. Regret began to quickly set in as the walls of her emotional prison began to close in around her. Suddenly she held her chest with her hand and her breathing rapidly increased. She was suffocating in despair, deteriorating in indignation, drowning in resentment. The overwhelming burden of wrath was beginning to consume her, and she had no defense. Anger slowly ate away at her conscience and she gasped desperately for air. There was no way to save her now. She didn't listen to her inner voice, and now she was going to be swallowed into the dark abyss of...

"Tamao?" Her voice startled her and she gasped, jumping quickly to her knees and turning around.

"Pirika, you're awake," She replied nervously.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked as she stepped inside and closed the door.

Tamao stared at the floor hesitantly, unable to give her an answer.

Her frown disappeared quickly and she sat on the floor in front of her on her knees, "You were thinking about her?" She asked solemnly.

Although she couldn't see Pirika in the darkness, she could sense the sadness in her demeanor. She bit her bottom lip and sighed heavily, "I couldn't sleep," she said.

"Neither could I," she said softly.

They sat without speaking for a few moments listening to the downpour. Tamao rubbed her hands together slowly before deciding to speak.

"It's strange," she said warmly, "not having her here."

"I...can't believe it," Pirika replied sadly, "I can't believe she left."

"Yeah," Tamao sighed.

"I thought...I just thought it was some kind of phase, like she would snap out of it and everything would be fine."

"I don't know," Tamao sighed and stared at the floor.

"Well, at least he doesn't cry anymore," Pirika said, closing her eyes briefly, "That was horrible."

"He's getting better," she said calmly, "It takes time."

"Tamao?" She asked timidly.

"Yes?"

She bit her bottom lip before continuing, "Do you think she'll ever come back?"

"I don't know, Pirika," she sighed.

She seemed disappointed with her answer but didn't protest, "It's late. We should go back to bed."

"Yeah," Tamao replied breathlessly.

They walked quietly into the hallway in an attempt to keep the rest of the house undisturbed until they reached Pirika's bedroom door. She smiled at Tamao, although the darkness prevented her from seeing the expression and held her hand.

"You can sleep with me tonight if you want," she said softly, "We can talk until you fall asleep."

"Okay," Tamao followed her into the room and released a sigh of relief. The truth was that her bedroom had become a dreary place since Anna left, and she had no desire to sleep alone, "Thanks, Pirika."

"I guess they're still awake," he said calmly as he listened to the muffled voices down the hall. He sat on the floor in front of the bed and watched the water as it ran heavily down the glass of the window.

"I suppose," he replied blankly. He stood in front of the window and darted his eyes briefly to the base of the pane. There was a faint reflection from the vivid light of the moon that revealed an outline of the wild brown hair and fatigued facial features of the visitor he had not invited into his bedroom, "How long do you intend to stay awake?" He asked him suddenly.

"I'm not sleepy," he replied calmly as he shifted his body weight on the floor, "I don't know. I just figured since you're always awake..." he hesitated.

"Yoh," he sighed but paused. There was no way of knowing why he was annoyed by him sitting on his floor. He hadn't said or done anything offensive. Yoh was calm. He even seemed normal. However, the one thing that became an irritation was that he developed a terrible case of insomnia that was causing him to violate personal space.

"You were going to say something, Ren?" He stood suddenly and joined him in front of the window.

"No," he replied quickly. After glancing at the refection in the window, he realized he was scowling. His eyes appeared to glow against the glass heatedly and he took a few steps back.

"You want to be alone," At first it sounded like a question, but he knew Yoh was simply stating fact.

Instead of answering him, he clasped his hands together and sighed.

"You should have said something, Ren," he said smiling weakly, "I can leave."

"You don't have to leave," he said suddenly, almost interrupting him. It was true that he wanted to be alone, but given the fact that Yoh was his friend it seemed rather inhumane to force him out when he obviously needed to be there.

His smile quickly grew into a childish grin as he sat on the floor underneath the window. It was obvious he didn't want to leave, and Ren was aware of this now. Sighing heavily, he sat beside him and crossed his legs underneath his body. The silence filled the room quickly, as if they were strangers until Ren decided it was too uncomfortable to continue.

"I was actually intending to get some sleep tonight," he said jokingly. Yoh didn't respond so he continued, "But now it seems rude to leave you here wide awake."

The silence was irritating. Ren frowned as he stared into his lap. He wasn't a very strong conversation starter and was bothered that Yoh wasn't rambling about something insignificant. As he opened his mouth to say something deeply offensive, he paused and held his breath.

He didn't want to turn his head. He didn't want to look at him. But he was sure the man sitting next to him was crying. It started as small sniffs, as if he was trying to keep Ren from hearing him. Eventually the watery eyes developed into thin tears, rolling quickly down his face. Yoh held his breath and closed his eyes, as if doing so would stop the nearing breakdown, but he exhaled quickly and slumped forward. Ren could see him out of the corner of his eye, but for some reason, he didn't have the will to move. He waited for a few moments and gasped quietly when it began.

Yoh wasn't crying exactly. The wails could be described as pained moans, diluted slightly by the sound of increasing rain. He clutched his knees with his hands, and his body began to tremble violently as if a small seizure was overtaking him. When his limbs thawed completely, Ren was able to shift his body weight to look at him. He remained silent, unable to do or say anything he felt comforting. He stared at him quietly, watching in shock as Yoh held his breath for a few seconds with his mouth open as if suffocating.

"Yoh?" Ren had no idea what he wanted to say, but he called his name anyway.

What happened in the seconds that followed he could not have expected. Yoh collapsed into his chest suddenly and clutched his shirt like a small child escaping from a frightful dream. Ren held his breath in terror as he curled into a tight ball and buried his face into his chest and neck, sobbing desperately and pulling weakly at the cloth of his t shirt. The palms of Ren's hands were planted solidly on the floor, and he stared at the opposite wall wide eyed as if doing so would somehow erase the current events. Once the t shirt failed to sustain his attention, he climbed higher until he was almost in his lap, wrapping his arms around Ren's shoulders and resting his chin on his neck. The cries continued uninterrupted, and Yoh released his entire body weight upon him.

"Please stop," he whispered suddenly. He didn't want to be insensitive, but Yoh had clearly invaded his personal space, and he was truthfully traumatized.

Yoh didn't seem to hear him, but his cries decreased in volume slightly as he held him tighter while attempting to catch his breath. Ren's elbows gave under the sudden stress and his back hit the wall with Yoh collapsing further onto him. He rested his head on Ren's shoulder momentarily, and his shallow breathing felt awkwardly warm against his neck.

"I don't know what you want from me," Ren said weakly.

The words distracted him suddenly and he lifted his head feebly to look at him. Ren held his breath again when he felt the thick strands of his hair brush the skin of his face. Yoh stared at him blankly for a few moments to allow time for processing the statement in this brain. He watched him intently and noticed for the first time the fear in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered weakly as he moved away and sat on his knees in front of him.

Ren didn't respond and stared at him without blinking.

"I didn't mean to..." Yoh hesitated as he looked down into his lap, "I'm sorry."

The renewed silence that filled the room was more unsettling than before. Ren gagged suddenly, realizing he was holding his breath, and began coughing.

"Are you okay?" Yoh asked worriedly. He began to move closer, but quickly withdrew and stared at the floor.

"Yeah," he whispered without looking at him.

"I'm sorry," he repeated weakly.

Ren wanted to say something to him, but for some reason he was unable to force any words out of his mouth. The two continued to sit on the floor silently and allowed the rain to dominate the conversation.

"I'm fine," Yoh said suddenly, "Really, I'm fine."

"I know," Ren said blankly.

"Do you think I'm weak, Ren?" He frowned suddenly and stared at Ren's chest.

Ren hesitated for a few moments, figuring the answer should include more than a yes or no. The longer he paused, the more anxiety appeared in Yoh's demeanor. Eventually the silence became unbearable, and Yoh released a nervous sigh.

"I think you're angry," he responded finally.

Yoh frowned at him to consider his statement then stared into his lap, "I don't feel angry," he said weakly.

"You still feel regret and sadness," Ren elaborated, "But this is anger."

Yoh seemed pleased with the assessment and smiled at him. Ren's expression appeared calm, as if he was no longer in shock from his outburst and he folded his arms across his chest.

"I can't be angry with her," Yoh said sadly, "She had to be honest about her feelings, right?"

"You're angry because she left. You feel betrayed," for some reason Ren found himself unable to elaborate on his thoughts and had to give short statements in an attempt to express them.

"I don't want to feel...angry," Yoh sighed, "I don't want to feel anything."

"It takes time to numb your emotions," Ren said quickly, "If you stay angry this will happen eventually."

Yoh wasn't sure the advice was a healthy approach, but he didn't question him. Silence pierced the conversation suddenly and they stared at each other calmly.

"You'll have to face her at the meeting in a few days," Ren resumed, "Are you ready for that?"

"Yeah," Yoh replied.

Ren frowned slightly, but didn't challenge his answer. After a few more moments of hesitation, he decided to speak again.

"Yoh," He started.

"Yeah?"

"Never do that again," the words were cold, although Ren's expression was very calm.

The demand caught him off guard and he giggled, "I won't. I promise."

* * *

Despite the abundant downpour, she was sleeping soundly through the night. The rhythmic sound of the rushing water was soothing to her ears and aided her in restful slumber. When she stirred slightly and shifted her body weight, she was awakened by the cold mattress that attacked her skin. She blinked a few times, noticing she was alone in the bed, and sat upright with a slight frown.

The house was completely dark with the exception of the pale moonlight and occasional lightning. She walked slowly down the hallway as the cold floor chilled her entire body. The hem of her black nightgown flowed delicately at her feet, giving the appearance of graceful levitation. Soft, blond strands of her hair danced carelessly in and out of her face as she increased her pace. Her arrival on the balcony was subdued by the sound of crashing thunder, and she exhaled softly when she realized he was there.

She stood behind him for several minutes silently, observing his peaceful placement on top of the short wall of stone pillars. He was wearing a long, brown robe that loosely draped his body, and his dark hair whipped about helplessly in the wind. The turmoil of the storm didn't sway his calm demeanor, and he stared blankly into the darkness of the night. He could feel the warmth of her presence near but didn't move. She stepped closer until she was directly beside him and paused. Heavy rain and wind overwhelmed the silence of their conversation for several moments, and they watched as the water rolled quickly away from the roof of the house.

Satisfied in her discovery she began walking away from him slowly, and he restrained her gently by holding her hand. The gesture did not agitate her and she stood beside him, watching as he moved away from his position to stand in front of her. Her blank expression remained unchanged as he wrapped his arms around her waist and allowed her to rest her head on his chest. She clasped her hands together and trembled as the cold wind blew against her back and he held her tighter.

"Such a beautiful night, isn't it?" He asked softly.

"I'm cold," she said blankly.

"You should go back to bed," he replied calmly, "It's late."

"I'm not going alone," she said as her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.

He frowned when he could feel her body tremble in his arms and rubbed her back, releasing a subtle energy that warmed her entire body. She closed her eyes and smiled with relief as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Come with me," she said softly, "I said I'm not going alone."

Pausing to kiss her gently on the forehead, he watched the rain for a few moments in silence. She released him and lifted her eyes to view his gaze and noticed he wasn't smiling.

"Hao?" She whispered.

"Sure," he said gently, "Let's go."


	2. Tension

**Tension**

The house was very noisy as usual when he awoke from his late slumber. Sitting upright in his bed, he stretched his arms above his head and released a loud yawn mixed with a moan and a few coughs. He searched the room for a few minutes, looking for something to tie around his head to tame the wild blue mane that had fallen over his face and neck but was unsuccessful. Sudden knocking at his bedroom door startled him and he fell out of the bed onto the floor.

"Horo?" She called hesitantly, "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," he grumbled as he attempted to free himself from the prison of blankets.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

"Yeah," he repeated with the same tone, "You can come in."

She opened the door hesitantly and gasped when she saw him buried in the cocoon of covers on the floor, "What are you doing?"

He emerged from the blankets slowly and mumbled something inaudible as he threw them on the bed, "It wasn't on purpose, Tamao," he said.

"We're still eating, but Yoh has to leave soon...if you want to see him before he goes."

"Okay," he said blankly as he rose to his feet, "Where's everyone else?"

"Eating," she replied simply.

"Where's my sister?"

"Eating."

"And Ren?"

"Um...eating," Tamao frowned at him suddenly, confused slightly by his questions.

"Are they sitting together?" He asked.

"Um..." she paused, "I guess so."

He sighed heavily and headed for the door, "I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay," she followed him into the hallway and watched as he made his way into the bathroom. When she saw the door close she joined the others at the table.

"Where is he?" Yoh asked worriedly.

"In the bathroom," she replied.

"So, where are you going again?" Pirika asked, ignoring their comments.

"To the park."

"What?" Tamao looked at him with a slight frown as she sat next to him, "I thought you were going to Izumo."

"No," Yoh sighed, "I asked them to meet us at the park."

"Who?" Pirika asked softly.

"His grandparents," Ren replied.

"I'll probably be gone for a few hours," Yoh said nervously, "I don't know how this is supposed to work."

Yoh and Tamao sat in close proximity on one side of the round table. He had already finished eating, but was sitting at the table watching the others. Tamao began picking at her food slowly and nervously, staring at her bowl. Ren and Pirika were sitting on the opposite side, though there was enough space between them to seat another person, and Pirika also began picking at her food aimlessly. Ren ate very slowly, pausing occasionally to sip his tea. He noticed a few times that Yoh was staring, and he paused briefly to acknowledge him with a glare of his own. When Horo emerged from the hallway, Yoh's concentration was broken slightly and he stood.

"Hi!" He said cheerfully.

"Good morning, Yoh," Horo replied blankly.

"If you want to call it that," Ren chimed sarcastically.

"You're leaving?" Horo asked after rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, I probably should," Yoh said as he scratched his head.

"Well," Tamao stood abruptly and began following him to the front door, "Have a safe trip, Yoh."

"He's going to the park," Ren groaned as he stood from his seat and walked past them to step outside.

"Have some fun while I'm gone," Yoh said with a smile.

She blushed uncontrollably by his statement and said, "I'll try."

"Bye!" He called to the others.

"Yeah," Horo said blankly.

"Bye, Yoh!" Pirika called cheerfully.

When he closed the front door behind him, he joined Ren on the front step and stared blankly at the grass. Ren didn't move or look at him, and he exhaled softly.

"What is it, Yoh?" He asked.

"What if she brings him with her?" Yoh frowned suddenly and bit his bottom lip.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

"No it doesn't," Ren replied angrily, "You're stalling because you're scared."

"I'm not afraid, Ren," he groaned.

"You have to go to this meeting. You have to talk to her. Don't make any more stupid excuses, Yoh," Ren's voice was very cold, but for some reason his words were not offensive.

"I'm fine," he said abruptly as he stood and took a few steps forward, "I think I'm fine."

"I'm not going to baby you," Ren spat, "GO."

Yoh smiled at him weakly, a subtle display that was not returned, and began his short journey to the park. He buried his hands deep in the pockets of his brown pants as he walked slowly through the woods. As his destination grew closer, his nervousness began to grow into an emotion he didn't recognize fully. He began to contemplate the conversation he had with Ren a few days before, and wondered if this new energy was the anger they discussed. The wind increased in pace slightly, blowing the tail of his white collared shirt away from his body. Thick, auburn strands bounced cheerfully against his shoulders as his hair glided in the breeze. When he reached a clearing, he noticed she was already sitting on a bench waiting. Pausing momentarily and stopping his pace entirely, he sighed heavily and closed his eyes.

Her blond hair was pulled away from her neck with a pin, a hairstyle that he wasn't accustomed to seeing her in, and she wore a long, navy dress with a black cloak over her shoulders. He approached the bench slowly and sat beside her without looking in her direction. She noticed his presence but didn't speak. They sat on the bench in total silence for several minutes. He glanced at her a few times and noticed she was staring blankly ahead. After realizing she had no intention of talking to him he exhaled heavily and clenched his teeth.

"Do you not see me?" He groaned.

She didn't answer and continued staring at the nearby trees.

"Sure, ignore me," he mumbled with much frustration.

"They're late," she said finally. Her tone was emotionless and she hadn't veered from her gaze ahead.

"Are you going to tell them the truth?" He asked angrily.

She closed her eyes briefly and sighed. Although the question caught her off guard she refused to make her alarm visible.

"About what happened?" He continued, "How you betrayed me?"

She clutched her hands slightly that were rested in her lap, "Stop it," she said sternly.

He paused for a few seconds and clenched his teeth tighter, "They deserve an explanation...I deserve one."

"I said stop it, Yoh," she repeated angrily.

"They should know you're not a virgin anymore," he growled bitterly, ignoring her.

"Unbelievable," she mumbled under her breath.

"But, if you tell them that they would want details," he continued as he stared at the grass, "And I doubt you could count how many times you've..."

"SHUT UP," She barked, interrupting him, "Seriously: STOP talking."

He growled and stood abruptly, tightening his hands into fists by his sides.

"Sit down," she snapped.

"Don't tell me what to do," he frowned.

"Fine," she sighed, "Stand there."

He hesitated for a few moments and stared at her furiously then slowly sat down. She didn't look at him but folded her arms tightly across her chest.

"If you don't tell them, I will," he said slowly.

Although he was unaware of it, she suddenly held her breath. She wasn't ashamed of her decision, and up until he made the statement she was calm about breaking the engagement. However, thoughts of discomfort and dread began to consume her mind, and she feared his grandmother's reaction to the news. As she tried clearing her mind one thought overpowered all of the rest and commanded her attention.

_I hate you._

She realized quickly that it wasn't one of her thoughts at all and turned her head slowly to stare at him. He was staring at the grass angrily clenching his teeth, and his hands were balled tightly at his lap. She closed her eyes and sighed and was startled when he stood abruptly.

"Grandfather!" He called as he took a few steps to greet the elder couple, "Hi, Grandmother."

"Yoh," Kino was very excited to see him, but was more interested in speaking with Anna.

Yohmei allowed his grandson to hug him and they began a meaningless conversation about the weather. Anna stood quickly, lowering her head to acknowledge them, and smiled slightly as Kino stepped forward to greet her apprentice.

"It's a wonderful day, isn't it?" She asked instead of greeting her.

"Yes, madam, it is," Anna replied as gently as possible.

"So you must know why Yoh asked us here," Kino continued, seemingly unaware of Anna's nervousness, "Have you decided to move up the wedding date? We can arrange that and have you two married by the end of the week!"

"Please sit down," Yoh said suddenly, interrupting their conversation and giving Anna a short amount of relief.

Anna sat at one end of the bench with one of her legs neatly crossed over the other and her arms folded in her lap. Kino sat directly next to her and forced her arms apart by holding her hand. Yohmei sat on the other end of the bench holding Kino's walking stick upright and did not relax his limbs. Yoh paced slowly in front of them for a few moments, and Anna quietly exhaled.

"So, what is this about, Yoh?" Yohmei asked suddenly.

"We need to cancel the engagement," he said calmly. Anna gasped suddenly, surprised that he managed to make the statement so effortlessly, and darted her eyes to the grass.

"What?" Yohmei clutched the stick tightly, and Yoh noticed he was visibly angry.

"You can't cancel the engagement," Kino replied with the same tone.

Anna closed her eyes as they began to fill with tears suddenly. She turned her head away from them and was unable to force herself to speak.

"I would not have mentioned this if it were unnecessary," Yoh responded gravely, "It has to be done."

"Did you not hear me, my boy?" Kino asked, "The engagement can not be canceled."

"I want an explanation for this, Yoh," Yohmei said angrily, "Why are you bringing this up?"

"Anna has fallen for someone," He said in a tone barely audible.

Kino blinked a few times and released Anna's hand. She was visibly surprised by the statement and sighed heavily. Yohmei didn't move at all but his expression grew into a state of annoyance.

"It doesn't matter," Yohmei said finally after a few moments of pause, "You're engaged to Anna and that is who you'll marry."

"This can not be changed, Yoh," Kino added, "I will not allow it. We will not allow it."

"This man has asked her to marry him," Yoh continued as if ignoring them, "She has accepted. I have no intention to stand in their way."

"Who is this man?" Yohmei asked furiously. They were beginning to veer off subject, but Kino seemed to share the same eagerness.

Anna held her breath suddenly and opened her eyes.

"You don't know him," Yoh said quickly, "But the point is, I will not marry her."

She exhaled and stared at him in shock. He didn't return her gaze, nor did he look in her direction and he buried his hands deep into the pockets of his pants.

"We will not tolerate this attitude, Yoh," Yohmei said as he stood abruptly, "We can't cancel the engagement, and there is nothing else to say."

"Are you saying you can't or that you won't?" Yoh asked in a tone almost disrespectful.

"Be careful, Yoh," Kino said sternly.

"The purpose of this engagement was to have a partner who can help me. Someone who will compliment me well in strength and mental prowess," he said, "But Anna is useless if her loyalties are divided."

She was offended by the assessment but didn't protest.

"This is not a simple matter. An engagement can't just be thrown away because you want it to be," Kino explained.

"May I speak?" Anna asked softly as she bowed her head.

"No," Yoh replied, almost interrupting her request.

_Anna, shut up._

"Yoh, there are things you don't understand because you're still very young," Yohmei said, attempting to reason with him.

"I'm an adult, Grandfather. I'm old enough to make this decision," Yoh groaned.

"Please, I need to say something," Anna interrupted again.

"DO NOT SPEAK," Yoh snapped at her angrily.

_What are you doing, Anna?_

"Anna, is there something you wish to add?" Kino asked sadly.

_Do you want this or not?_

Anna looked into his eyes and noticed he was staring at her. She wasn't intentionally probing his thoughts, but for some reason she was still able to hear them.

_Don't say anything. Just sit there. I'll handle this._

"No," Anna said finally, "It would not have been relevant, I suppose."

"I realize this breaks tradition, but I'm not saying I don't want to be married," Yoh said as his tone softened, "I know you can arrange another suitor for me. But, Anna needs to be free of this so that she can..." he hesitated, "Explore her feelings."

_Or whatever the hell she calls it._

"This is ridiculous!" Yohmei spat angrily, "The engagement has nothing to do with romantic feelings, Yoh. It doesn't matter how she feels...or how you feel for that matter. You don't seem to understand why this was arranged in the first place..."

"Yohmei," Kino interrupted her husband suddenly and rose slowly to her feet, "I want to talk to you."

He nodded and took her hand reluctantly, and the couple walked away from the bench far enough for their conversation to be unheard. Yoh stood in front of the bench silently with his arms folded neatly across his chest staring at the grass. Anna didn't move from her position on the bench but was staring at him.

"Why did you do that?" She asked suddenly.

He didn't reply and closed his eyes.

"Yoh?" She called.

"It wasn't for you, if that's what you're asking," he snarled.

"Yoh, you didn't have to..." she hesitated.

"She loves you. She would have been devastated if I told her," he said, interrupting her, "I'm not going to break my grandmother's heart because of your selfish actions."

"Thank you," she said breathlessly. She didn't know what else to say to him and saw that Yohmei and Kino were returning to the bench, "Yoh, I..."

"Don't talk to me," he said sternly as they approached.

"Yoh," Yohmei was just as angry as before, but his tone weakened, "We'll give you a call in a few days. This will need to be kept in secrecy until we find a replacement."

"Thank you, Grandfather," He replied weakly, "I have another request as well."

"You're not seriously thinking of asking for something else after this, are you?" Yohmei frowned at him.

Kino sat on the bench beside Anna and didn't speak for several seconds. Anna bit her bottom lip and stared at her lap nervously before deciding to speak.

"Please forgive me, I..." She started.

"Anna," Kino interrupted, "Hao is the burden of this family. He is the enemy of the world. There is a reason for that."

She clutched the fabric of her cloak but didn't respond.

"You need to remember why you're here," Kino stood suddenly and walked away without looking back. Yohmei appeared to be arguing with his grandson, but immediately followed her when he saw her departure.

As she watched the two walk away, the tears she managed to hold back during the meeting resurfaced and were now escaping her eyelids. Yoh didn't move from his position in front of the bench and stared at the wood intently as if intentionally keeping himself from looking at her.

"How do you feel?" He asked randomly.

She was visibly caught off guard by the question and swallowed hard, "What?"

"Do you feel bad? Is that why you're crying?" This time he stared at her angrily.

"I don't know what you want me to say," she sighed.

Yoh opened his mouth to quickly address the statement but paused. He could feel something was different in his demeanor, but he couldn't recognize what was surfacing. Hesitating momentarily to gather his thoughts, he swallowed hard and stared at her silently.

"You're saying you want me to feel bad?" She asked angrily, quickly wiping her tears away with the cloak.

_I want you to die._

Anna was visibly startled and uncrossed her legs, repositioning herself on the bench. She returned his glare with a weak one of her own, but quickly darted her eyes to the grass.

"What are you saying?" She asked.

"I'm not saying anything," he replied, "You're free now. That's what you wanted! You should be happy!" He didn't intend to yell at her, but the words were already in the air and she was already staring at him in disbelief.

She wanted to address everything; his statements, his thoughts, his expressions. Something kept her silent, however, and she stood abruptly and began walking away.

"Stay away from me, Yoh."

The words were unintentional. She hadn't planned to say anything at all, but for some reason they escaped her lips quickly and she knew she couldn't take them back. Her pace quickened as she entered the woods. She needed to be somewhere quiet to gather her thoughts, and she could feel his angry eyes from behind ripping her apart.


	3. Progress

**Progress**

The wind rustled through the trees stirring fallen leaves around the path she traveled. Her pace slowed to a strange saunter as she observed the nature around her. The house was approaching quickly, and for some reason she lingered in the woods much longer than necessary to stall the inevitability of walking through the front door. She stood in front of the house silently staring at the wooden edifice as if waiting for something to happen when his voice startled her.

"Why are you angry?" He asked suddenly.

"I'm not angry," she sighed weakly, turning around to face him.

"Yes you are," he countered, "Why?"

"You followed me?" She asked in an irritated tone.

"No," he responded quickly, returning to the original subject, "What's bothering you?"

"Yoh is...aggravating," she started.

"Did you think he was going to be nice to you?" Although his voice was very calm she felt he was attacking her.

"Hao," she groaned.

"What did you expect, Anna?" He continued his thoughts, ignoring her protest, "You should have known this was going to happen, but there's no need to be angry about it."

"He hates me," she whispered.

"Really?" He was surprised by the statement but didn't reveal the reaction, "Only now?"

"What do you mean, only now?" She frowned.

"I expected that months ago," Hao replied with a slight smirk.

"You think this is funny?" She asked angrily as her tone elevated.

"This is over now," he said blankly, "It's no longer necessary for you to see him."

She sighed as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "You're saying I should stay away from him?"

"I thought that was obvious."

* * *

Yoh entered the house quickly and stormed down the hallway. He didn't bother to address them as he passed on his way to his bedroom. Tamao and Pirika jumped when they heard his door slam.

"I guess the meeting didn't go well," Horo said softly.

Tamao stood abruptly and sighed, "I have to go," she said quickly.

"Leave him alone," Ren groaned.

"I can't," she replied anxiously, "He needs me."

He rolled his eyes but didn't restrain her when she left the table and disappeared down the hallway.

"Do you think she can calm him down?" Pirika asked timidly.

"I don't know," Horo sighed, "He's been acting so weird...I don't know where his head is anymore."

"She's going to agitate him," Ren said blankly.

"Why would she agitate him, Ren?" Pirika asked with a frown.

"He doesn't need a babysitter," Ren replied as he shifted his body weight and relaxed his hands on the table, "She's too gentle."

"You think he needs to be yelled at?" Horo asked defensively.

"He doesn't need to be babied," he groaned as he stared the table, "He needs..."

Ren was interrupted suddenly when Tamao reemerged from the hallway.

"Is he okay?" Pirika asked worriedly.

"That was fast," Horo said under his breath.

"He wants to see you," Tamao replied, ignoring the comments and glaring angrily at Ren.

"Why?" Horo was irritated with the request and rolled his eyes.

Ren walked away from the table quickly and made his way down the hallway without addressing the others. Pirika watched in confusion as Tamao sat at the table beside Horo and they both exchanged glares of disgust.

"What's wrong with Yoh wanting to talk to Ren?" Pirika asked after several seconds of silence.

"Ren is...just wrong for this," Tamao sighed.

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious, Sis?" Horo replied, "He's unstable."

"Ren is not unstable," Pirika groaned.

"Yes he is," Horo retorted, "Not to mention he's selfish and arrogant..."

"Egotistical and self-centered..." Tamao added, "Sarcastic..."

"Aggressive and insensitive..." Horo continued, "And..."

"He likes destroying things," Tamao sighed.

"And he's impulsive and reckless," Horo added.

"Paranoid and violent..." Tamao chimed.

"Sadistic and..." Horo bit his bottom lip and hesitated.

"He's a jerk," Tamao said angrily.

"I GET IT," Pirika interrupted suddenly, "But, you guys are wrong. Maybe if you spent more time with him, Tamao, you wouldn't feel that way."

"Why am I not surprised that you're defending him?" Horo frowned.

"And the only reason why you don't like him now is because of me," Pirika added, "You two are practically best friends."

"We're friends because of Yoh," Horo snarled.

"Whatever," Pirika sighed.

"Ren is going to provoke him," Tamao said as she bit her bottom lip in frustration, "He doesn't need that right now."

"He wouldn't have asked to see him if Ren was going to make things worse," Pirika replied, "There may be something we don't know. Ren's not mean like you think. He's never mean to me."

"I wonder why?" Horo asked mockingly.

Tamao folded her arms across her chest and rested her elbows on the table in disgust. Pirika watched her for a few moments and hesitated to speak. Horo stared at the wall blankly and balled his hands into fists.

"Why doesn't he trust me?" He asked suddenly.

"Who?" Pirika asked.

"Yoh trusts you, Horo," Tamao responded solemnly, "But Ren is very persuasive."

"...Persuasive? You make it sound like he's some kind of con-artist," Pirika said angrily.

"I don't like this," Horo said, ignoring his sister, "I don't like this at all."

"I have to go to the market," Tamao said sadly as she stood from her seat.

"You guys," Pirika sighed, "This isn't bad. Ren's not the enemy."

"I'll go with you," Horo stood slowly and followed Tamao to the front door. She didn't protest, and the two seemed to completely ignore Pirika's words.

* * *

Ren rested his back against the wall with his arms folded across his chest staring at him angrily. He hadn't said anything since he entered and didn't move. Yoh was sitting on the floor on the opposite side of the room staring at his feet.

"Spit it out," Ren said finally.

"It's all wrong, Ren," he replied sadly, "I don't know who I am anymore. I was so irritated I couldn't clear my thoughts. It was just...frustrating."

"Do I look like your mother to you?" His tone was cold, and Yoh had to lift his head to see if he was serious.

"What?"

"You must think I'm your mother," Ren repeated angrily, "Why else would you be acting like a baby?"

"I'm not a baby," Yoh groaned as he darted his eyes to the floor.

"Yes, I know that," Ren spat, "But you don't seem to recognize it's time to grow up."

"What are you talking about?" Yoh asked weakly without looking at him.

"Did you think I was going to come in here and 'make it all better'?" He asked mockingly, "I'm not a miracle worker. This is hopeless."

Yoh stood suddenly and stared at him without speaking. Although he was shocked by the statements, his expression was blank.

"Do you have any idea how pathetic you are?" Ren's voice elevated as he took a few steps forward.

"I'm not pathetic," Yoh mumbled.

"I don't even know why I put up with you. Maybe it's pity. Why else would I waste my energy?" He continued.

"Stop it, Ren," he was deeply offended by Ren's attack, but couldn't seem to fight back.

"You want me to stop telling you the truth?" He stepped forward until he was directly in front of him and pushed him hard in the chest, causing him to stumble a few steps back, "You're so weak you can't even see yourself for the waste of space you are?"

"I said stop," Yoh's tone elevated slightly, but he backed a few steps away.

"Make me stop," He said angrily, pushing him again.

"Leave me alone," Yoh sighed as he attempted to walk away.

"You're running away from me?" Ren called behind him, "That's probably best. You couldn't beat me up if I gave you instructions."

He stood still but didn't turn around. Ren was standing behind him, and he could feel he was stepping forward.

"You're a coward," Ren added.

"I'm not a coward," Yoh replied through clenched teeth.

"Really?" He asked sarcastically, pushing him hard in the back, "Tamao has more bite than you."

Yoh growled but didn't turn around. Pausing momentarily to regain his footing he groaned, "If you didn't want to come in here, why did you?"

"I wanted to see if you were crying," he scoffed, "You do that well."

Ren waited until he turned around slowly to punch him in the face. Yoh was visibly startled by the blow and fell to the floor. As he struggled to recover back to his feet, Ren stepped forward and kicked him in the stomach.

"Do you know why Anna left you?" He asked angrily, "I thought it was obvious, but maybe you don't get it."

Yoh rose to his knees gingerly but had to brace himself with his hands, and he groaned in frustration. Tightly clenching his teeth he growled, "Ren..."

"I asked you a question," He interrupted, kicking him again.

Yoh rested his face on the wood for a few seconds before attempting to stand on his feet again. Ren tightened his hands into fists and tapped his foot impatiently on the floor as he watched him struggle. He rose to his knees again and rested his hands on his thighs as he paused to catch his breath.

"I'll answer it for you," Ren snarled suddenly.

He ignored him and pushed his arm against an adjacent wall to leverage his body upright.

"She left because she doesn't respect you. She doesn't respect you because you're weak. You couldn't even tell her you loved her because you were scared. No one takes you seriously," Ren closed his eyes as his tone elevated into a heated outburst, "because you're not a threat. Hao is stronger than you. He'll ALWAYS be stronger than you. You don't have the guts to do anything about it, so you lose. You always lose, Yoh. You'll be a loser for the rest of your life, and Anna was just able to see it before the rest of us. So the only thing left for you is to crawl under a rock and die!" He noticed that Yoh was standing in front of him but continued, "I'm not your friend! I'm embarrassed to even know you. Anna managed to escape with some of her dignity, and she made the right decision. It would have been stupid for her to marry a spineless crybaby like y..."

He was interrupted suddenly by a swift punch in the face that sent a crippling pain through his jaw and rippled through his body like a shock wave. When he opened his eyes he realized he was on the floor and Yoh was standing over him. Although his expression was blank, his eyes revealed his rage. Ren jumped quickly to his feet, but Yoh kicked him in the chest when he recovered and his back hit the wall behind him. Yoh wasn't comfortable with being this angry, but he had heard enough and didn't want to give him the chance to say anything else. He lunged at him quickly, not noticing he was suddenly smiling, and began punching him repeatedly in the face and head.

Yoh hadn't noticed he wasn't fighting back until he decided to engage him. Ren punched him in the stomach suddenly and he took a few steps back, struggling to stay on his feet.

"What was that supposed to be?" Ren mocked him, punching him in the face again and pausing to spit a few drops of blood from his mouth, "Don't insult me; I'm not a girl."

Yoh had been holding the side of his face with his hand for a few moments before he dropped his arms to his sides and stared at the floor, "I know what you're doing Ren. You're trying to make me angry."

"I don't know why you think I care enough to do that," Ren scoffed as he punched him again.

The blow connected with his nose and he whimpered loud enough for Ren to hear him. Stumbling back a few steps, he held his face in his hands. Ren took a few steps forward and watched him quietly, but quickly disrupted the silence with laughter.

"Pathetic, Yoh," he called.

"Is this about that night in your bedroom?" Yoh asked randomly as he staggered forward a few steps.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he growled.

"You suck at this, Ren," Yoh sighed.

"You're the one holding your face," Ren staggered to the bed and sat down quickly to keep from falling on the floor.

"Being angry doesn't help," Yoh said weakly as he stood upright and stumbled a few steps before sitting beside him, "It doesn't solve the problem."

"But you feel better, don't you?"

Yoh paused to consider the question and dropped his hands into his lap, "...Yeah."

"Then it does help," Ren said with a triumphant smile.

"But what does beating you up really solve?" Yoh sighed.

"You wish you could beat me up," He snarled.

"I mean, what do I do now?" Yoh continued, ignoring him.

"You get stronger," Ren replied as he stretched his knuckles, "And you move on with your life."


	4. Setback

**Setback**

The restaurant was mostly empty, allotting for a calming environment. Pirika had chosen a booth because she felt the seats would encourage a more intimate atmosphere, and would force them to sit closer. On one side of the table she sat next to the window and Horo was sitting next to her. Tamao sat directly across from Horo, and to her disgust, Ren was sitting next to her and directly across from Pirika. He stared out of the window for several seconds, watching the looming darkness devour the night sky, and violet strands of his hair hid his facial expression. The truth was that he was very uncomfortable sitting so close to a woman he had grown to greatly dislike, but he wanted to be civil for Pirika's sake.

"Isn't this nice?" Pirika's soothing tone broke the silence gently, and he smiled at her.

"Yes, it is."

"What time does the movie start?" Tamao asked blankly.

"Eleven thirty," Horo replied.

"So we have to stay here for an hour and a half?" Ren groaned.

"I don't mind," Pirika said as she reached forward and held his hand, "We can order dessert."

Tamao shifted her hips and grabbed the edge of the table as she moved further down the booth to increase the space between them. Ren noticed the movement but didn't comment and unknowingly rolled his eyes.

"Come on, you guys," Pirika sighed, "We live together. We should all get along, shouldn't we?"

"We're getting along," Horo replied sarcastically.

Tamao giggled slightly from the tone and they exchanged looks of understanding and humor.

"Has Yoh said anything about his new fiancé?" Ren asked randomly.

"He said it would take them a few days to decide, but we haven't heard anything yet," Tamao said sadly.

"I'm sure you don't mind," Ren replied mockingly.

"Man, it's been three weeks already," Horo said as he scratched his head, "What's taking so long?"

"It's a thorough process," Tamao explained, "They can't just choose anyone. She has to be perfect."

"No one's perfect," Ren groaned.

"Except for you?" She replied as she pulled a few pink strands out of her face and behind her ear.

Horo laughed lightly from the snide comment, and Ren clenched his teeth slightly from frustration. Pirika squeezed his hand and glared briefly at Tamao with slight disapproval.

"I know perfection is a concept you can't grasp," Ren said bitterly, "But don't worry, whomever this woman turns out to be, I'm sure she'll give you a lesson on why you'll always be in second place."

"Ren!" Pirika scolded as she released his hand.

"That would be useless," Tamao replied angrily, "You have more to teach me about Second Place than anyone, don't you?"

Horo glanced at the ceiling briefly and laughed out loud at her statements, but his sister was visibly uncomfortable, "See, Sis, we're getting along just fine!"

"So is that what it is?" Ren continued, ignoring them, "You need Horo to back you up to give you the courage to insult me?"

"I'm not a coward," Tamao replied through clenched teeth.

Pirika held one hand over her face, realizing she would not be unable to neutralize the situation, and was surprised that Tamao was speaking so freely and angrily.

"Really? I've never seen anything from you but weakness...but here you are, insulting me...with your cheerleader," he glared at Horo briefly before he continued, "encouraging you to be something you're not. Being strong is not an act."

"I don't have to act like I'm strong, Ren. You're the actor. You've been pretending to be invincible since you moved in," Tamao's tone elevated as she spoke.

"You wish you were strong, Tamao. No, more accurately, you wish you were Anna."

"Oh no," Pirika mumbled.

"Why would I want to be someone who betrays people? I don't want to be Anna. I don't respect her enough to aspire to...that. But maybe you should be honest with yourself and admit you wish you were Yoh!"

"She did not just say that," Horo mumbled as Pirika nudged him under the table.

"You have much to learn about ridicule, Tamao. I don't need to be like someone I've already surpassed. If you're going to insult me, use ammunition that would actually sting," Ren's tone was slightly irritable, but his eyes revealed his rage.

"Keep telling yourself you've surpassed him, Ren," she replied, "Maybe you'll finally get some sleep."

They sat silently in the booth for several moments. Tamao was staring angrily at the table with her arms folded across her chest. Ren stared out of the window with a disgusted frown and clasped his hands together over the table. Pirika clutched her stomach with her hand and stared at them in shock. Horo watched Tamao's movements with a slight frown.

"What movie is it?" Tamao asked suddenly.

Pirika stared at her for a few moments, and Ren continued his gaze out of the window.

"Um..." Horo paused, "Destroy Leroy."

"We are not paying money to see that crap," Ren scoffed.

Pirika was surprised by his lighter tone and stared at him fearfully.

"That's a stupid movie, Horo," Tamao agreed.

"No, I heard it's really good," Horo said, defending his choice. He was uncomfortable with the sudden change in the atmosphere, but decided to run with it, "And Sally's an extra in it too!"

Tamao giggled lightly, causing Pirika great discomfort, and unfolded her arms, "I've seen the previews; I think it's going to be a waste of time."

"It's going to be a waste of money," Ren added, "Why do we allow him to pick the movies anyway?"

"I don't know," Tamao laughed.

"What?" Pirika mumbled suddenly.

"Just go with it, Sis," Horo whispered.

"Um..." she hesitated, "Well, if it ends up being a bad movie, we could just laugh at it."

"She's right," Horo said, encouraging his sister's comment.

"I could use a good laugh," Tamao said calmly.

"Yeah," Ren replied.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

She stepped inside of the house slowly, although he did not invite her in, and her red dress swayed gently with her body as she passed through the hallway. He followed her agitatedly and stopped when she turned around. She paused, revealing a slight hesitation in her body language, then handed him a thin packet of papers.

"What is this?" He frowned.

"The Funbari contract," she sighed, "You were supposed to sign it months ago, but you never did."

Her blank tone added to his frustration and he glared at her.

"I can't sign this," she groaned but he continued, "I don't even know what this is."

"You know what it is, Yoh," she said as she began tapping her foot against the floor impatiently.

He thumbed through the packet clumsily, skimming over the characters with a skeptical scowl, "I'm not signing this," he said.

"Yoh," she barked, "You're signing over ownership of the inn," she paused to exhale, "We've talked about this already..."

"No," he interrupted, "You sent some stranger here a few months ago who wanted me to sign papers he wouldn't even let me read. I didn't let him in..." he clenched his teeth briefly, "I don't know why I let you in."

"Stop being difficult and sign it," she groaned.

"You think I'm being difficult?" He snarled as he crumpled an edge of the packet in his fist, "You came here with papers in the middle of the night for me to sign so you can put me out on the street, and I'm being difficult?"

She delicately moved a few blond strands away from her face, placing them behind her ear and closed her eyes, "I'm not evicting you. No one has to move out. If you read the contract you would know that."

"I don't want to read all of this," he barked, "Explain it to me."

Anna mumbled something inaudible under her breath, and he was sure it was something spiteful since she rolled her eyes at him, "This contract does two things: it removes you as a joint owner of the inn, and it moves the address to another location. The inn won't be here anymore, so you don't have to move out."

"You had to find another building or build one yourself, and that's expensive. How could you even get that kind of money?" He folded his arms across his chest, securing the packet underneath one of his arms.

"That's none of your concern, Yoh," she said sternly.

"So what, he's suddenly rich?" He fumed.

"You're such a child," Anna mumbled bitterly.

"I didn't agree to any of this," he sighed, "You didn't even ask me if I wanted to. I definitely don't owe you anything, Anna, so why should I?"

"You said you didn't care about the inn...and you never did," she said through clenched teeth, "so why do you care now?"

Yoh stared angrily at her for a moment in silence.

"SIGN IT," she barked.

Yoh dropped his arms slowly and looked away from her to stare at the wall. He held the packet in his hands gently at first but then raised it high enough for him to see the papers and resumed his angry glare. Anna gasped involuntarily when he suddenly ripped it in half and threw the halves on the floor.

"Yoh!" She wanted to scold him but she was unable to gather her thoughts.

"I just decided," he said blankly, "I'm not going to give you anything. You've taken everything away from me...and you won't take this without a fight."

"That was the most immature thing I've ever seen you do, Yoh," she said bitterly as she tightened her hands at her sides into fists, "You don't even care about this...you're just bitter."

"You're not listening, Anna," he said calmly, "I won't let you take anything else away from me. If you want this, you'll have to hire a lawyer..."

"Are you serious?!" She interrupted but he ignored her.

"And take it by force because I'm sick of putting my head down so you can walk all over me. I'm not a coward. I'm not a loser. I'm not your servant..."

"What are you talking about?!" Anna screamed at him, interrupting his train of thought, "I was polite. I asked you nicely to sign this contract and you ripped it up in my face! I didn't hit you. I didn't make any demands. I didn't even threaten you. You're acting like an idiot!"

"So you think I'm an idiot?" He growled, "Is that what you say to yourself so you can sleep at night?"

"...What?!" Although she was yelling, her facial expression revealed slight confusion.

"You push the guilt away by saying I'm an idiot...saying I'm not worth your energy?" He continued, "I'm not an idiot. I'm not the villain. You're the one who created this mess...You fix it."

Anna stared at him with her mouth open, unable to respond for several seconds. She knew he was no longer talking about the contract and didn't want to get into a heated argument with him. Probing his thoughts proved to be fruitless, since his mind was completely clear, and this further added to her confusion.

"You don't have anything to say?" Yoh asked bitterly.

"I didn't come here to fight with you," Anna replied breathlessly, closing her eyes momentarily, "I don't know why we can't just...talk."

"I don't have anything else to say to you; that's why we can't talk," He groaned, "You thought we would be friends?"

She lifted her head briefly to glance at the ceiling then stared at him, "Why are you doing this?"

"I told you I'm not signing anything. Did you think I would reconsider if you stopped yelling at me?"

"You're acting like a jerk!" She scolded.

"Why don't you get out of my house?" He added.

He didn't expect her to move as quickly as she did, but when he realized she was in front of him she was already slapping him hard across his face. The blow stung his skin as if a wasp was the culprit, and he had no way of hiding the pain from her. He clenched his teeth and stumbled a few steps, but refused to touch his face with his hand.

"Don't talk to me like that," she began her demand in an angry tone but it quickly tapered off into a slight whimper.

"I don't have to talk to you at all," he replied.

"Stop acting like..." she hesitated and stared at his chest.

"Like an idiot?" He asked sarcastically.

"Stop acting like you hate me, Yoh."

He looked away from her suddenly, noticing her eyes were filling with tears. She dropped her hands slowly at her sides and turned away from him. He watched in silence as she sat on her knees to gather the paper fragments from the floor.

"I never thought you would grow to hate me," she said softly as she rested her hands on her thighs for a moment, "Maybe I was just being naive."

He didn't respond but sat on the floor beside her and began helping her build a small stack.

"I won't come back here. I'll stay out of your life for good," she said as she allowed a tear to roll down her cheek.

They continued stacking the papers together until the last fragment sat neatly at the top of the pile. Anna stood very slowly, clutching the stack at her chest and began walking to the front door. Yoh followed her in silence but after several steps he stopped his pace and stared at the floor.

"Anna?" He called suddenly.

Without any hesitation she turned around and took a few steps toward him, "What is it, Yoh?"

"Do you really love him?" He continued his eye contact with the floor and was unable to lift his head.

She placed the stack on top of a nearby table and took a few more steps forward, "None of this was intentional. I...never meant to hurt you."

He lifted his head slightly when he noticed she was standing only a few steps away in front of him, "Do you?"

"Yes," she said in a tone barely audible.

"But, are you in love with him?"

"What do you mean?" Anna asked before swallowing hard.

"If you have to ask me that question, you don't," he stepped closer and she took a few steps back.

"Yoh, we're getting married. I wouldn't go through with it if I didn't love him," she said.

"You would if you didn't want to admit you made a mistake."

She stared at him briefly with an indescribable expression, but it quickly changed into one of acknowledgement, "It doesn't matter now."

Yoh noticed the statement immediately, but it took several seconds for Anna to realize what she said. He didn't say anything to address her words but stepped closer until he was directly in front of her.

"That's not what I meant," she said quickly, "Good night."

Anna walked away from him swiftly and almost fled to the front door, slamming it after disappearing outside. Yoh stared at the hallway and blinked a few times, but was unable to move. He darted his eyes briefly to the small table, noticing the torn papers were still there. Hesitating a few more moments to move, his thoughts were disrupted by the reopening of the front door.

He watched as she reentered the room and headed directly for the table.

"I left them," she mumbled.

Although he could feel his body stepping closer, he didn't seem aware of the involuntary action. She faced him, realizing he was approaching, and he held her face in his hands. He kissed her slowly, dropping one of his arms to her shoulder and then wrapping it around her waist. There was a delayed reaction in her brain, but she recovered quickly and slapped him hard, taking a few steps back. Yoh didn't appear affected by the blow at all, and the two stared at each other in silence.

"I love you, Anna," he said finally.

She didn't respond, and the silence was unbearable. He searched her face with a desperate expression and was unable to repress the tears that were beginning to fill his eyes. Anna's eyes were indescribable, and she stood silently in front of him without breaking their gaze. Her thoughts were less jumbled than before, and she was able to probe him slightly.

_Please say something._

Yoh watched her take a few steps closer and then pause without speaking. The renewed silence was pure torture, and he suddenly wanted to be away from her. He swallowed hard, but was unable to move his body away from his position. The seconds that followed seemed to pass in slow motion. Her steps seemed to glide gently, although it was more likely that she was running. Delicate fingers soothingly caressed his neck and ran tenderly through his hair. His lips quivered uncontrollably when she kissed them, and the warmth overwhelmed his senses and thawed his body. He held her close and returned her embrace, closing his eyes and faintly exhaling in slight relief. Anna grabbed the front of his t shirt, clutching it tightly in her hands, and deepened her kiss, attacking him in a way that revealed some deprivation she longed to overcome. She closed her eyes after feeling the spinning of the room in her brain, and was suddenly unable to control her limbs. Her hands moved about frantically, attempting to rip the shirt from his body but succeeding in pulling it over his head. The warmth of his bare skin overwhelmed her, and the spinning grew more troublesome. Her black scarf fell on the floor suddenly, and one of the straps of her dress fell off of her shoulder without provocation.

Yoh paused suddenly, expecting to wake up from a dream or at the very least for her to regain her composure and walk away. She took a short breath and whispered something in his ear as her dress suddenly succumbed to the increasing gravity. He had no idea what she said at first, but after repeating the statement a few times he was sure there was no turning back.

"I love you."


	5. Control

**Control**

The park was very quiet with a cool breeze stirring from the nearby trees. Sounds of fluttering leaves and singing birds filled the air with a beautiful melody, and the lake added stunning hues of green and blue to the scenery. He was wearing a loose white collared shirt that was buttoned in the front with rugged denim jeans. His shoes were missing, although he didn't seem to notice, and he sat comfortably with his knees bent. Long auburn strands of his hair beat heavily against his back and along the surface of the blanket beneath him. She was sitting in front of him, using his chest as a recliner with his thighs as armrests. The hem of her navy dress beat vigorously in the wind, and she tucked it under her leg. He had been running his fingers through the soft blond strands of her hair for several minutes as she watched the clouds slowly drift by in silence.

"What's bothering you, Anna?" The question seemed random and she exhaled heavily.

"I'm fine," she sighed.

"You've been tense all week," he said calmly as he slowly ran his fingers down the entire length of her hair.

"Slightly irritated," she mumbled.

"So you went to see Yoh, although we already discussed it was unnecessary," he didn't seem to be asking a question, judging by his tone, and she definitely couldn't tell his mood.

"I wanted him to sign the Funbari contract," she said quickly.

"You could have mailed it to him," he sighed.

"He would have thrown it away."

"Did he sign it?"

She bit her bottom lip irritably and paused before clasping her hands over her stomach, "...No."

"So," he began blankly, gripping a large portion of her hair with his hand and pulling it back, "You went to see Yoh...to get him to sign a contract...for two hours...and he didn't sign it?"

She clenched her teeth slightly from his tight grip and frowned, "He was being difficult."

"How amusing," he said softly as he twisted the hair firmly in his hand.

"Ouch," she mumbled resentfully.

"Why are you still upset about this?" He asked, ignoring her protest.

"I'm not upset," she replied breathlessly, visibly annoyed by the subject matter.

He released the hair, allowing it to fall against her neck and gathered it again in his hands, "If you have something you need to say to me, now would be a good time to do it."

She flinched suddenly, a display she knew he noticed, and closed her eyes. What exactly was he talking about? She was certain he couldn't read her mind, but was suddenly terrified of the possibility she was wrong. Hesitating a few moments to gather her thoughts, she exhaled softly and opened her eyes, "I don't know what you mean, Hao."

"I'm not very naive," he continued his soft tone as he began twisting her hair into a knot that was much tighter than necessary, "and I don't like being lied to."

"Was that supposed to scare me?" She barked.

He didn't seem to be listening to her and continued manhandling the hair very slowly with his hands. The pain was suddenly torturous, and she closed her eyes to keep from groaning but didn't speak. He continued twisting the hair, pulling at it roughly until it was in a tight ball.

"Understand something," he said gently as he deftly placed a pin to keep the hair intact, "There's nothing you can hide from me; you shouldn't try keeping secrets."

She watched the slight ripples in the lake silently as he ran his fingers delicately against her neck and shoulders. There was suddenly a pang in her stomach that wasn't there before, and she felt the urge to leave. She wanted to respond somehow, but for some reason she couldn't figure out what to say. Before she could derive a solution to the current dilemma, he interrupted her thoughts.

"Let's go back to the house," he said warmly.

--

Horo emerged from his bedroom in a slight haze as he stepped slowly down the hallway. Pirika was sitting at the base of the staircase, and he sat beside her, staring at the floor.

"Brother," she sighed, "you sleep too much."

"It's not late, is it?" He replied.

"You're getting lazy," she continued, "It's my fault. We have to resume your training."

The thought of training made him cringe slightly, but he was sure to conceal his discontent, "Where's everybody?"

"Yoh and Tamao went to Izumo," she said blankly.

"And no one told me?"

"I tried to wake you up," she said bitterly, "But you were in a coma."

He rolled his eyes and stretched his arms before collapsing beside her, "What about Ren?"

"He's watching TV."

"So why are you out here?"

She sighed heavily and clasped her hands neatly over her thighs before giving him an answer, "I wanted to talk to you," The words were grave, as if she was going to deliver devastating news.

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

"I want to talk about dinner last week," she said sadly, "About Tamao."

"Yeah," he shrugged, "That was funny."

"It wasn't funny, Horo," she scolded, "It was...strange. And it made me uncomfortable."

Horo glanced at her momentarily and noticed she was visibly upset. He softened his tone and sat upright before replying, "Which part?"

"Tamao doesn't behave in that way," she said sadly, "She never talks like that. She..." Pirika hesitated, biting her bottom lip, "Horo, she doesn't talk to Ren at all, and now all of a sudden she's fighting with him?"

"He's annoying," Horo replied, "Maybe she just snapped."

"She's been acting differently ever since Anna left. You haven't noticed?" Pirika shifted her body weight and glared at him.

"Well yeah, I've noticed," he said as he scratched his head, "But I like her new attitude. She's funny and sarcastic. I think it's cool."

"Tamao is not sarcastic," Pirika groaned.

"Well maybe not before, but she is now," Horo laughed.

"But," she paused to exhale in frustration, "It's not normal for someone's personality to just change like that."

"Maybe this is the real Tamao and she was just hiding it for some reason," Horo said with a frown, "Anna had a way of controlling her, and with her being gone, Tamao is free to be who she is."

"I don't like it," she frowned, "Something's not right about it, and I really wish you would take this more seriously."

"I think you're overreacting, Sis," he sighed, "She's probably just angry about Anna being gone."

They stood abruptly when they heard noises at the front door. Horo frowned when Ren emerged from the sitting room and joined them at the staircase. He didn't speak to them but waited at the end of the hall.

"They're back already?" Horo asked.

"They've been gone for hours, you parasite," Ren groaned.

Yoh and Tamao entered the room very slowly with facial expressions of disappointment and slight disgust. Tamao was walking behind him with her head down, as if awaiting some type of punishment. Yoh entered the room with a blank expression, and his skin was pale from fatigue. He wasn't going to speak to them at all, and when Pirika noticed she stood in front of him to block his path.

"How did it go?" She asked warmly, attempting to relieve the tension that suddenly appeared.

Tamao stood next to Horo and hesitated there for a moment, staring at the floor.

"Fine," Yoh replied coarsely as he walked around her and made his way to his bedroom.

Pirika was deeply offended by his tone but didn't stop him and waited for his door to slam before approaching Tamao and Horo. Ren was standing in front of them as well, and folded his arms over his chest with a frown. The four of them stood silently for several moments, and Tamao continued staring at the floor, biting her bottom lip in frustration.

"What's wrong with Yoh?" Pirika asked gravely.

Tamao didn't respond and folded her arms over her chest.

"So what did they say?" Horo asked impatiently, "Who's gonna be his new fiancé?"

"I am," she said softly.

"What?" Ren blurted angrily.

"Huh?" Horo responded with slight irritation.

"Really?" Pirika asked with a smile.

"I have to talk to Yoh," she said abruptly as she broke away from them and hurriedly disappeared down the hallway.

Pirika clasped her hands together cheerfully, but her smile quickly faded when she glanced at Ren.

"This is ridiculous," he groaned.

"I don't get why they would do that," Horo said with a frown, "That's just..."

"Stupid," Ren interrupted.

"Come on, this is great," Pirika reassured them, "Tamao's not a stranger. We know her and she loves him. This is perfect."

"If this is so perfect, why is Yoh so mad about it?" Horo asked.

Pirika didn't respond, unable to come up with an answer that she felt made sense. Ren lingered a few seconds but quickly returned to the sitting room without speaking to them.

--

Tamao entered the room silently and sat on the bed. He was standing near the window, leaning his body against the side of the panel. After a few moments he turned around slowly to address her presence.

"I'm fine, Tamao," he said weakly.

"No, you're not," she said as she stood slowly and approached him. He allowed her to hold his hand and he rested his back against the wall. She hesitated, not wanting to irritate him, slowly rubbed his hand between hers and stared at him sadly, "You didn't say a word to me all the way back."

"I'm tired," he replied blankly.

"Yoh," she paused to swallow, "I can't let you do this."

He stared at her with a frown suddenly and dropped his hand from her grasp, "What are you talking about?"

"You've been acting like this for a week now," she sighed, "You can't...do this."

Yoh continued his gaze without responding and allowed her to place her hands on his shoulders.

"Are you mad at me?" She asked sadly.

"No," he sighed heavily.

"I didn't say anything to them. I didn't ask them to do this," she explained.

"I'm not mad at you, Tamao," he responded sharply, but quickly changed his tone, "I know you didn't."

She stared at him blankly for a few moments and briefly closed her eyes. He wasn't looking at her, and her expression quickly changed into a saddened sense of acknowledgment.

"You asked them to make me your fiancé?" She asked, "It wasn't their choice?"

He closed his eyes and looked away as if he felt ashamed by her accusation, "Yeah."

"I know I wasn't their choice," she continued, "But, that just means I have to prove to them you made a good decision. I'll be your wife. I'll be a good wife. I can help you...I will help you, Yoh. This is my responsibility now."

"You don't have to do anything," he sighed.

"Why did you quit the tournament?" She asked, ignoring him.

"What?"

Tamao bit her bottom lip, realizing she hadn't talked to him about his decision, "You...don't have to."

He sighed and walked away from her, taking a few steps in front of the bed. She followed and grabbed his hand, forcing him to face her.

"He was supposed to give up Anna," she started timidly, but quickly changed her tone, "But he didn't. She left, and he didn't push her away. There's no reason for you to forfeit the tournament now."

When he didn't reply she continued, "You are going to be the Shaman King. You are not quitting the tournament, Yoh. You'll defeat him...and I'm going to help you."

"Tamao," he started but she interrupted him.

"You're still in the tournament, Yoh," she said desperately, "I intercepted the letter you sent to the council," she paused suddenly, realizing she was confessing a crime, "Um, I burned it."

He stared at her wide eyed for a moment without the ability to express any feelings of anger and swallowed hard. She darted her eyes to the window quickly but resumed her stare after a taking a deep breath.

"I'll train you. You haven't trained in months...but I'll get you ready. You can beat him. We can beat him," she tightened her grip on his hand and stared at the floor.

"You'll train me?" The question sounded more like a mocking piece of sarcasm than anything else, but she seemed to ignore his tone.

"I'm your fiancé. I'll be your wife. This is my responsibility. I have to make you ready...and...you'll be ready."

He suddenly noticed the anger in her eyes as she spoke and he took a step closer, "I don't think this is necessary, Tamao."

"Are you going to let him do this to you?" She asked angrily, "You can't let him take everything from us! He...can't take this away from you, Yoh. You can't let him win!"

She placed the palm of his hand against her chest and clutched it tightly in her hands. He didn't know what to say to her and frowned. Although he agreed with her assessment, he somehow lost the will to fight long ago and didn't know how to explain this to her. Closing his eyes momentarily, he sighed and opened his mouth to speak.

"Don't say it, Yoh," she interrupted sadly.

"...What?"

"Don't say you can't fight. Don't say you don't have anything to fight for," she stepped closer until she was inches from his face and whispered, "Please let me do this. I can do this, Yoh."

"Tamao," he whispered, but didn't have the will to finish his thought.

"This is not about love," she continued her soft tone and didn't veer her eyes away from his, "The fate of the world depends on you. You may not want to believe it...but it's true. You're the only one who can stop him, Yoh. You have to do this," she paused as her eyes began to fill with tears, "Don't kill my hope. You owe me this."

He pulled his hand away from her chest, forcing her to release him, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Pulling her closer to his body, he rested his head against the side of her neck and exhaled. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and clutched his back with her hands, allowing her tears to settle into the cotton of his shirt. Yoh hadn't realized how much his sanity meant to her until this moment, and the guilt began to overwhelm him. He hadn't noticed how skewed his priorities had become until she was in his arms, and sudden feelings of regret and resentment flooded his mind. Tamao had succeeded in making him see that Anna was not the priority at all...

"I'm sorry," he said softly, "I'm sorry I failed you."

"You can make it up to me," she sniffed, "Let me train you."


	6. Training

**Training**

Ren sat in the small chair quietly staring at the table. The silence in his bedroom was subdued by his light breathing. His golden eyes were fixated on the small object in front of him as if the slightest movement would make it disappear. He studied the glass ball carefully, noting its distribution of weight against the ceramic base. There was no doubt in his mind that the ball was filled with a liquid substance, but he was almost certain the mysterious fluid could not be water. After all, the glitter inside would have to move at a much rapid pace if swayed by water currents, and the plastic trees near the center would bend in the same direction. This definitely wasn't water. But, what was it? He frowned slightly and groaned, seemingly frustrated by his assessment.

"Stupid," he grumbled.

"Do you like it?"

Startled slightly by the interruption he stared briefly at the doorway, noticing her calm position, and his scowl quickly changed into a gentle smile.

"Yes," he replied warmly, "Thank you, Pirika."

"Well what's stupid about it?" She asked with a frown, "Do you think it's a stupid gift?"

He paused to carefully consider the question and began tapping his fingers softly against the surface of the table. This seemed surely to be a trick question, and he wanted to make certain he didn't offend her.

"No," he replied finally after several seconds of silence, "I'm sure there's a purpose for it."

Pirika appeared uninterested in his response as she walked toward his bed and sat slowly at the edge of it. As she quickly adjusted the hem of her denim skirt, Ren noticed a perplexing bitterness in her eyes. He shifted his body weight in the chair so he could face her directly and frowned slightly in confusion.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked softly.

"Am I your girlfriend?" She blurted after biting her lip impatiently.

Ren opened his mouth in an involuntary display but was unable to project anything more than a nervous sigh. She stared at him blankly at first, but her brilliant sapphire eyes gleamed with disdain and irritation. He tried again to speak, but his voice was failing him and he stared at the side of the bed in defeat as she slowly crossed her legs and clasped her hands on her lap.

"Why is that such a difficult question for you to answer?" The annoyance in her voice was deeply evident and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"No," he whispered finally, "It's not a hard question to answer really."

"What do you think of me, Ren?" She sighed, "Am I wasting my time?"

"Well, I…" Ren spoke without knowing fully what he was going to say, but Pirika didn't allow him to continue.

"Because if I'm not your girlfriend, what are we doing?"

They sat in silence for several moments staring at each other. Ren was at a loss for words in a rare instance, and he grew increasingly angry about it. Perhaps if she hadn't demanded a status report from him he would have been able to convey his feelings in a more natural way. As he searched her eyes he noticed the anger was no longer present and was replaced with another expression he didn't recognize.

"Ren, I love you," she sighed finally.

"What?"

"I don't think you love me," she paused as her eyes began to fill with tears suddenly, "What are we, really? I don't know what we're supposed to be, Ren. We hold hands. We go out on dates…we even kiss from time to time," she sniffed, "I mean, what is that?"

"GUYS!" Horo's voice rung through the house violently, despite the fact he was outside.

Ren glanced at the window but quickly looked into her eyes without moving.

"It could be important," she sighed with disgust.

He ran out of the room quickly without saying a word, and she followed him half-heartedly into the front yard. Horo was standing in the grass with Yoh's arm wrapped around his shoulders. He didn't speak, but his almond eyes revealed his fatigue.

"Help me," Horo grunted suddenly as he motioned for Ren to come closer.

Ren took a few reluctant steps forward but stopped when Yoh wriggled free from Horo's grasp. Horo sighed with irritation and reached for his arm again, but Yoh slapped his hand away and took a few steps back.

"Stop it," he said angrily.

"What's wrong with him?" Pirika asked worriedly.

"He needs to rest," Horo barked, "That's what's wrong with him. Yoh, this training is out of control. Now, stop fighting me and come on!"

"Where's Tamao?" Ren asked with slight irritation.

"Who knows?" Horo replied angrily, "She's probably trying to come up with another way to torture him."

"Torture?" Pirika whispered.

"Leave me alone," Yoh said weakly before falling suddenly to his knees.

"Yoh, listen to me," Horo scolded, "You need rest!"

Horo took a few steps forward to grab Yoh's arm again but stopped abruptly when he didn't recover from his position on his knees. Yoh's face was hidden by the thick strands of his hair, but the three were certain something was wrong. He moaned slightly as his body began to tremble violently, and as he fell forward his hands were planted in the grass.

"He's going to vomit," Ren mumbled under his breath.

"Yoh? Can you get up?" Horo called to him worriedly.

He remained planted on his hands and knees for several seconds without moving or speaking. Horo involuntarily took a step back, as if waiting for him to explode. Pirika placed one hand over her mouth and gasped when she saw him move again.

"Yoh?" Horo's tone fell into a slight whisper as he watched his frail body tremble.

Yoh closed his eyes, an action no one saw, and lowered his head as his arms began to buckle under the pressure of his weight. His stomach began a series of violent spasms as his back began to sink closer into his thighs, and he bent his elbows instinctively.

"Tamao!" Pirika screamed as she ran back into the house frantically, "Tamao! He's throwing up!"

"What did he eat?" Ren's question started out as an irritated demand but trailed off quickly into a slight whimper. He took a few steps closer until he was standing next to Horo, and they stared at the growing puddle beneath him in shock.

"It's…blood?" Horo whispered fearfully.

Ren didn't respond but he stared at Yoh wide eyed as a chill ran down the entire length of his spine. Pirika returned with Tamao and was holding a wet towel in her hands. Tamao folded her arms and watched without moving from the front steps.

He paused for a moment, sending a brief feeling of relief for his spectators, but after a few weak coughs and groans, the vomiting continued.

"We can't just let him puke himself to death," Horo said suddenly, but was unable to move his body.

"That's not normal," Ren whispered.

Tamao closed her eyes for a few moments and sighed heavily before reopening them, "Pirika, give him the towel."

She waited until Yoh sat up weakly and rested on the back of his feet before approaching him. The blood stained his t shirt lightly and was still streaming slowly from his mouth. His eyes were glazed over and he didn't look at her when she began wiping his face with the cold, wet towel.

"Are you okay, Yoh?" Horo asked softly.

"Yeah," he responded with a low whisper as he slowly removed his shirt and tossed it onto the grass, forcing Pirika to take a step back.

"Tamao, something is wrong with him," Horo pleaded, "People don't puke up blood like that. He needs to see a doctor."

"Are you ready?" She asked, blatantly ignoring Horo's grievance and staring into Yoh's eyes with a cold indifference.

"Ready for what?" Pirika asked fearfully.

"Yeah," Yoh replied blankly as he slowly rose to his feet and took a few steps back.

Tamao stepped onto the grass, being careful to miss the bloody puddle Yoh created, and began walking away. He immediately followed her without protest, and they disappeared into the woods.

"What the hell?!" Horo screamed at them.

"What are they doing?" Pirika whimpered as she dropped the towel onto the grass.

"Unbelievable," Ren said angrily, "She's crazier than I thought."

* * *

Anna sat quietly in front of the television with a slight frown. Although she had been experiencing strange headaches and nausea for weeks, she didn't want to raise any alarm. Refusing to take any medicine for the strange ailment, she opted for the hottest tea she could stand and watching soap operas for most of the day. She pushed the blond strands that were obstructing her view out of her face then carefully took a small sip of her tea.

"What are you watching?" He asked calmly as he stepped inside the room and slowly approached the chair she was sitting in.

"There's nothing on today," she groaned lightly. Hao seemed to ask her that question every day as if hoping for a new answer.

"Well, you should probably…" He stopped abruptly and groaned, slamming one hand against the side of the wall for support and clutching his chest with the other.

Anna noticed he was grimacing in pain and stood quickly from her seat, "What's wrong?" She asked with great concern.

"It's nothing," he replied softly and smiled at her, "I think I'll have some tea with you."

When he attempted to walk away, she grabbed him at the waist and embraced him tightly, "What's wrong?" She repeated sternly.

"You're not worried about me, Anna, are you?" He replied as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"I've seen you do this three times already," Anna barked, "Just tell me what it is."

Hao held her face in his hands and kissed her softly on the lips, "Really, it's nothing," he said warmly.

"If it's nothing you shouldn't have a problem telling me about it," Anna replied coldly as she pulled away and began pacing back and forth in front of him.

He rested his back against the wall and folded his arms across his chest, "It's Yoh," he said calmly.

"Yoh?" She asked with confusion and stared into his eyes with a slight panic.

"He's…stronger," he continued slowly, "Tamao has been training him for months."

"Tamao?" Anna felt an overwhelming fog of nausea suddenly, but she refused to appear sick, "What are you talking about?"

"She's very serious," he added with a slight chuckle.

"I don't see what's funny about this," Anna replied angrily, "You said Yoh quit the tournament."

"He changed his mind," Hao's calm demeanor was making the nausea worse, "But anyway, this isn't about the tournament anymore."

"If it isn't about the tournament, what is it about?" Anna whispered.

Hao took a few steps closer and ran his fingers slowly down the length of her arm. She frowned at him in slight protest, but allowed him to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her hair away from her ears. He kissed her earlobe delicately but then whispered something in her ear she wasn't expecting.

"They're planning to kill me."


	7. Shift

**Shift**

Dim light from the rising sun began to fill the house quietly as morning made an impressive debut. The silence filling the house remained and everyone appeared to be sleeping soundly despite the natural alarm. This peaceful calm was a far cry from the chaos that controlled the house in the weeks before, but daybreak seemed to erase most of the ugliness to start the slate clean. His room was illuminated first because of its position in the house; the rays bounced against any reflective surfaces softly and did not wake him. Thick auburn strands of his hair were stretched out wildly over his pillow as if he had been tossing and turning most of the night, and cold sweat beads adorned his forehead and neck. He was lying flat on his back with one knee bent, and all of the bed coverings were piled onto the floor.

He didn't notice until he tried to move that she was lying beside him with her arm rested firmly around his waist. Her face was not visible because she rested her head against his chest, and pink strands of her hair blocked his view of her. He blinked a few times and cleared his throat, and she stirred softly. He stared at the ceiling with a blank expression as she slowly opened her eyes and glanced at his white t shirt. Blinking several times to wake up completely, she sat upright in the bed beside him and rested her hands in her lap.

"Good morning, Yoh," she said timidly.

"What are you doing here?" He replied blankly.

She glanced at him briefly with visible disappointment in her eyes and sighed, "You wanted me to stay last night. Don't you remember?"

"Get out," he said coldly, almost interrupting her statement.

She stared at him again without speaking and her eyes narrowed with slight irritation. He noticed her glare and faced her, sitting upright quickly.

"Did you hear what I said?" He growled as his tone increased in volume.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked softly.

"You're still here," he snarled.

"I'll make breakfast," she replied, ignoring him, "You must be hungry."

"I don't care what you do," he groaned, "just get out!"

Her eyes began to fill with tears suddenly and she turned away quickly to keep from being exposed. His irritation increased the longer she sat beside him and he threw a pillow at the back of her head.

"Are you deaf?!" He yelled, "Get out of my room!"

She fled as quickly as her feet would carry her without turning around, slamming the door behind her exit.

Ren sat upright in his bed after hearing the loud sound and stared blankly at the wall. Because of the sunlight slowly creeping into his bedroom, he knew he had overslept by his standards. He glanced around the room slowly, allowing his reflexes and senses to catch up with his brain and noticed she was sitting in a chair beside him.

"I think it was Tamao," Pirika said sadly, "I heard Yoh yelling at her."

"Uh," he hesitated and blinked a few times but eventually fell silent.

"I woke up early," she explained, "and I couldn't get back to sleep, so I came in here. I didn't expect you to be asleep, so I just decided to wait for you."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he said softly.

"I'm worried about Tamao," she said gravely, "Yoh's been so mean to her lately. I don't get it."

"Maybe he's mad about the training," he replied, "She went too far with him."

"No," she sighed, "Haven't you noticed?"

He paused and glanced at her in confusion, "Noticed...what?"

"Yoh is more aggressive than he used to be. And he always seems angry around Tamao," she sighed, "I don't know...they're like mood swings. He's not really mean to her in front of us, but I can hear him in his room when he's yelling at her."

"Hmm," Ren replied under his breath as she continued.

"A few days ago," she paused and closed her eyes briefly, "When you and Horo were arguing about that TV show, I heard them in his room. Ren," she hesitated again as her eyes began to fill with tears, "He was so mean to her. He said the most awful things and..."

"What?" Ren asked as he moved to the edge of the bed in front of her.

"I think he hit her," she whispered.

He stared at her in shock for several seconds before speaking again, "Are you sure?"

"No, I'm not sure," she sighed, "But I heard something loud like a punch and I think she fell. We should do something, shouldn't we?"

Ren stared at her hands and blinked his eyes slowly, "What's wrong with him?" He whispered.

"What should we do?" Pirika asked fearfully.

"I...don't know," he sighed.

"Look," she started as she bit her bottom lip, "I know we haven't talked about us since that day he was sick, and I'm sorry for bringing it up like that."

"What?"

"I mean, I was wrong to make demands. I want us to figure it out, but I think this situation with Yoh and Tamao is more important right now. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

He didn't respond so she continued.

"Something is wrong with him. He's become a completely different person and...this person is scary. We have to do something," she said sadly.

"You're my girlfriend," he said as he stared blankly at the wall behind her.

"What?" She asked with a confused frown.

"For the record, I mean."

She smiled and was unable to conceal the redness in her face as she glanced briefly at the floor, "Well..."

"But you're right," he said quickly, "We can't ignore this. We should talk to him."

Horo stared at the ceiling without moving from his position on his bed. He knew everyone was awake because he could hear voices and loud noises, but he was not ready to leave his room. Stretching his arms and legs while yawning, he collapsed into his pillow and briefly closed his eyes. Sudden knocking at his door disturbed him and he frowned.

"What?" He grumbled.

"Horo," she said softly as she opened the door and stepped inside, "I made breakfast."

"Oh, okay," he said with a smile, "Thanks, Tamao."

He followed her to the table where Ren and Pirika were sitting after making a stop at the bathroom. Ren didn't address his presence but Pirika smiled and motioned for him to sit next to her. The round table was large enough to seat at least six people, so there was plenty of room. Horo sat next to Pirika on the left side since Ren was already flanked at her right. Tamao sat beside Horo and left a space for Yoh to sit beside her.

"Is Yoh awake?" Pirika asked timidly.

"Yeah," Tamao replied softly but hesitated, "He's not feeling well today."

Ren frowned at her unknowingly but she did not appear to notice.

"Well, let's eat before the food gets cold," Horo replied indifferently.

"Is he coming?" Pirika asked.

"Um, I don't know," she replied.

Tamao jumped suddenly when she heard his bedroom door open. Pirika whispered something inaudible in Ren's ear, and Horo ignored everyone and ate his food. Yoh emerged from the hallway fully dressed: a brown collared shirt with black pants, and his hair was neatly combed back into a thick ponytail.

"Good morning!" He called cheerfully.

"Uh, good morning, Yoh," Pirika replied slowly.

"Hey," Horo said blankly.

"Yoh," Ren said under his breath.

"Good morning," Tamao replied after several seconds of silence, "Are you eating breakfast?"

"Well," he said as he scratched his head, "I'm not really hungry."

"Okay," she said as she stared at the table.

Pirika nudged Ren underneath the table, but he didn't respond.

"Hey," he said, "I'm going to the market. I want to make something special for dinner tonight, but we don't have all of the ingredients."

"But it's still morning," Tamao protested, "Can't it wait?"

"Nah," Yoh replied with great enthusiasm, "I want to go while it's all fresh in my head. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Fine," she said sadly.

Pirika nudged Ren again under the table and he grabbed her hand. Horo stared at them and rolled his eyes but quickly returned to his meal. Tamao stared blankly at the table and didn't move when Yoh wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"I'll be back," he said gently in her ear.

"Okay, Yoh," she replied.

"Alright," he said cheerfully as he made his way to the front door, "I'll see you guys later!"

"Um, okay," Pirika whispered.

When Yoh disappeared outside, Tamao quickly excused herself from the table and stormed down the hallway, slamming her bedroom door once she was inside. Horo placed his cup delicately on the table and stood abruptly.

"I'll go talk to her," he said with great concern.

"That's a good idea," Ren replied gravely.

Pirika held his hand and stared at the table, and they sat in silence for several seconds. Ren frowned suddenly and began tapping his free hand against the surface.

"That was strange," he said.

"Do you see what I mean, Ren?" She replied sadly.

"Yeah," he replied, "There's something wrong with him."

Horo walked down the hallway very slowly and hesitated when he reached her bedroom door. He raised his hand to knock but decided against it and opened the door instead. She was sitting on the edge of her bed and didn't move when he entered and closed the door behind him. After standing in front of her without speaking he sat beside her and placed his hands loosely in his lap.

"Are you okay, Tamao?" He asked gravely.

"Yeah," she sniffed.

Horo did not notice until she responded that she had been crying. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and allowed her to rest her head against his chest and hug his waist. They spent the next moments in silence; he had no idea what to say to her, and she was trying to hold back her tears.

"I'm sorry," he started finally, "For coming down on you the way I did when he was sick. I was concerned. But...he seems fine now, right?"

Tamao didn't respond so he continued.

"I mean, it seems like he's back to normal now...the way he was all happy and cheerful just now. And...he even went to the market to make dinner for us tonight. That's cool, right?"

"He's with Anna," she said quickly, interrupting him.

"What?" He replied with a frown.

"I found a note in his room," she said bitterly as she pulled away from his grasp and stood, "She wanted to see him today."

He watched her pace back and forth in front of him and sighed, "Why didn't you stop him?"

"I can't stop him," she whispered, but her tone quickly elevated, "What was I supposed to do? He's going to do whatever he wants. I have to just...deal with it."

Horo glanced at the floor before speaking again, "You don't think he..." but hesitated and bit his bottom lip.

"I don't know what he's doing with her," she sighed, "He doesn't talk to me anymore."

She stopped pacing suddenly and folded her arms tightly across her chest. Her tears rolled down her cheeks quickly, and she did nothing to repel them. He stood quickly and embraced her again, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to his body.

"What should we do?" He asked softly.

"When this is over, he'll be fine," she sniffed, "We just have to wait."

"What are you talking about?"

"I've created a monster, Horo," she sighed, "And I don't know how to fix this. I thought making him stronger would help him, but...I was wrong. He's become someone else. I just...I just have to wait until it's finished so everything can go back to normal."

"Until what is finished?" Horo asked, pulling back so he could look into her eyes, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"When he gets his revenge, he'll be fine," she sighed.

"Revenge? You mean Hao?"

"It'll be over soon, and he'll come back," she sighed, "I know he will."


	8. Rupture

**Rupture**

"_Yoh?" She called timidly, "Can I come in?"_

_When she received no answer she opened the bedroom door slowly and quietly stepped inside. He was lying on his bed staring blankly at the ceiling and didn't move when she stepped closer. _

"_Yoh?" She called again softly, "Please speak to me."_

"_What is it, Tamao?" He asked weakly._

_She sat on the edge of the bed being careful not to touch any parts of his body and sighed, "No, I don't want anything. I'm just worried about you."_

"_I'm fine," he sighed._

"_No you're not," she replied quickly, "You keep having these...mood swings and..."_

"_Shut up, Tamao," he said, interrupting her statement._

"_What?"_

"_You talk too much," he groaned, "I can't have one night of peace and quiet?"_

"_I'm sorry," she said sadly, "I didn't mean to..."_

"_You see, that's what I mean," he snapped, "Stop talking."_

_They remained silent for several moments, and she tapped her fingers nervously in her lap. He noticed the movement and groaned._

"_What are you doing?" He asked angrily._

"_You don't want me to talk to you," she said as her voice trailed off._

"_Fine, Tamao. You can't shut up long enough for me to hear myself think, so start talking," he sighed heavily._

_She stared at him with eyes that resembled shock and resentment but didn't speak. He sat upright and moved until he was sitting beside her and pushed her hard in the arm, causing her to fall off of the bed onto the floor. She recovered quickly but stood near the bed instead of sitting down again and stared at him angrily._

"_Why did you do that?" She asked in irritation._

"_I was trying to think of something that would make me feel better," he said with a slightly demented smile._

"_Hurting me is fun to you?" She replied bitterly._

"_That didn't hurt you; stop being a baby," he sighed, "If you were in pain you'd still be on the floor."_

_Her eyes narrowed as she looked into his eyes, and her mouth was slightly agape, "Are you serious?"_

"_No," he laughed lightly, "I'm not serious."_

_She stood in front of him silently, unable say anything to him, and folded her arms tightly across her chest. He sat on the edge of the bed as if waiting for her to speak and then stood slowly, stepping closer. Tamao took a few steps back as he approached, but he moved closer and pushed her back hard into the adjacent wall. She tried walking away, but Yoh grabbed her arm with one hand and punched her in the stomach with the other._

"_Stop," she said weakly as she fell onto the floor and leaned against the wall._

_He approached her again and grabbed a thick lock of her hair, dragging her a few inches off of the floor. She grimaced and swung at him, hitting only air and clenched her teeth._

"_Ouch! Stop it!" She yelled.  
_

_He released his grip on her hair, but before she could recover he swiftly punched her in the face, causing her to fall onto the floor. She curled into a tight ball with her face buried in her arms without moving._

"_Now I'm serious," he growled..._

"I don't believe it," Horo said angrily, interrupting her, "That doesn't make any sense. Yoh wouldn't do that."

"I'm not lying," she said sadly, "I wish I were but...I'm not."

"What...is wrong with him?" He whispered as he stared down at his open palms.

"I told you," she sighed, closing her eyes briefly, "I've created a monster."

* * *

There was an eerie calm in the woods as he walked slowly down the dirt path. The trees remained stagnant from a lack of wind, and the leaves crumbled under his feet. As he buried his hands in his pockets, a burning sensation rose from the pit of his stomach and surfaced on the skin of his face in a reddened glow. When he reached a clearing, he noticed she was standing in the middle with her arms folded across her chest. The long, black dress she was wearing draped just below her knees and revealed the curves of her hips, and she wore a navy cloak over her shoulders. Blond strands of her hair were unrestrained and hit one of her eyes, and she nodded slightly to acknowledge his presence.

"What do you want?" He asked angrily.

"Hello, Yoh," she replied softly.

"You wanted to see me?" He groaned, "Why now?"

"How are you feeling?" She asked as she took a few steps forward.

"Take a guess," he snarled.

"Well, there is something specific I want to discuss with you," she started, ignoring his tone.

"Why did you leave?" He asked, interrupting her.

"What?"

"You said you loved me. You said you wanted me," he said through clenched teeth, "but you just left."

"Yoh," she started.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and you were gone, Anna. Do you have any idea how stupid that made me feel?"

"That was three months ago," she sighed.

"I don't care!" He yelled at her then slapped his forehead with his hand, "You must think I'm an idiot. Maybe I am an idiot. Why did I fall for that?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Yoh," she said with annoyance, "This is more important."

"You don't want to talk about it? Are you trying to dismiss me?" He growled bitterly as he approached her slowly with his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"Seriously, Yoh," she pleaded, "How are you feeling?"

"Stop asking me that!" He yelled.

"Do you feel light headed or dizzy?" She continued, "Any chest pains or shortness of breath?"

"There's nothing wrong with me, Anna," he said in irritation, "You're not a doctor."

"Why are you training in the woods with Tamao?" She blurted quickly, hesitating midway through her sentence to clasp her hands together.

"What I do with Tamao is none of your business," he groaned, "What is this about?"

She closed her eyes briefly to take a deep breath and lowered her arms to her sides. They stood a few feet in front of each other for several moments in silence as she watched his wrathful almond eyes and attempted to probe his thoughts. He frowned slightly and bit his bottom lip anxiously as he stared at her neck for a moment then back into her eyes.

"Stop it," he barked.

"What are you talking about?" She asked with a frown.

"Stop trying to read me."

"Why are you so angry?" She asked as her tone softened.

"Are you stupid, Anna?" He replied sharply as his knuckles whitened from the force of his grip.

"Excuse me?"

"You really don't know why I'm angry? Are you that full of it?"

Anna glanced quickly at the leaves that were beginning to flutter at his feet with a frown. Although she was sure there was no wind present, the leaves seemed to float and flutter on their own, whipping around his legs and spinning in a random pattern in the air.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you," he interrupted angrily, noticing her attention was divided.

"Don't talk to me like that," she replied with slight irritation.

"I can talk to you any way I want," Yoh released his hands briefly but quickly balled them into fists again, and his breathing began to increase slightly.

The few leaves Anna noticed at first had grown into a large bunch when she looked again; they floated vigorously in the air behind his back and around his shoulders, and she tilted her head slightly in confusion.

"What the hell are you looking at?!" He yelled suddenly, and she stared at him with a blank sense of acknowledgement.

"You can't feel it?" She asked.

"What?"

"Just," she sighed, "tell me why you're angry. I shouldn't have left the way I did...I shouldn't have come there at all. I'll admit that mistake."

"Mistake?" He growled, "That's what you're calling it? You are..." he paused and closed his eyes briefly, "UNBELIEVABLE!"

Small pebbles and loose branches began to levitate in the distance as he spoke, and some of the rocks began to spin slightly in mid air. Anna frowned at the display but quickly glanced at Yoh again who didn't seem to notice the random phenomena. He remained in a rigid stance with narrowed eyes clutching his hands at his sides and clenching his teeth. Knowing she was somehow distracted infuriated him and he released his hands and punched an open palm with his fist.

"LOOK AT ME!" He yelled again, as the dirt spewed from the ground like small geysers and the grass surrounding them was quickly uprooted.

"I don't want you to fight Hao," she said quickly, attempting to ignore the random happenings, "It is a mistake."

"Anna," he growled and closed his eyes, "I can't believe I'm surprised."

"What?" She was slightly confused by his statement, but now the trees in the nearby radius were beginning to bend in one direction as if pulled by some current and she was deeply distracted.

"I haven't heard a word from you since that night," he said as he took a few steps closer, "And I actually thought you wanted to come back."

Anna looked past him and noticed there were much larger rocks in mid air and spinning slowly as the pebbles spun violently and at different angles. She wanted to say something and opened her mouth to do so, but he continued his angry outburst.

"But you say it was a mistake. And then you come here," he glared at her with eyes of disgust and wrath, "to keep me from fighting HIM?! You're trying to defend him to me? Did you think I would just accept your request because I love you?"

Gusts began to whip through the vicinity, sending the leaves, pebbles, broken branches and large rocks into utter chaos. She tried to move away from the natural debris but was unable to move her feet. The trees bent at uncomfortable angles and appeared to be nearing the brink of snapping in half.

"That's not what I meant," she started but he continued.

"I'm stronger, Anna," he said angrily, "And it was Tamao who helped me; not you. I'm stronger now than I've ever been in my life...I'm strong enough to fight him...AND I WILL!"

"Stop it, Yoh," she said suddenly as she looked above her and watched the rustling leaves and pebbles above her head.

"Stop what, Anna?" He asked with slight amusement, "Telling you the truth? I shouldn't tell you what I think of this? I shouldn't tell you what I think of you?"

The gusts increased in pace, and one violent rush pushed her by the chest into a nearby tree. She fell down at the base of it and struggled momentarily to rise again to her feet. He approached her slowly, seemingly oblivious to the strange event and clenched his teeth. She leaned her back against the tree weakly and watched as the leaves and other debris began a distinct pattern of flow within the radius of the clearing. She also noticed now that she was further away from him the rest of the woods seemed to be unaffected by these gusts.

"Yoh," she said weakly, "STOP."

"Why won't you come to your senses, Anna?" He snarled bitterly, ignoring her, "Why can't you admit you were wrong? I HATE that about you! You're so stubborn...why won't you learn?"

Suddenly a large stone that had been rotating behind him broke its orbit and plunged quickly toward her. She gasped, finding herself unable to move out of its path and closed her eyes as the massive rock came within inches of shattering her face. Anna opened her eyes, realizing she was still conscious, and saw that the stone had stopped its path and was sitting directly in front of her. After several seconds of hesitation, the rock exploded, violently covering her in dust. Wiping her face quickly with her cloak, she blinked her eyes a few times to get a better view of her surroundings and noticed he was a few feet ahead staring at her.

"What...are you doing?" She asked in a slightly fearful tone.

"Shut up," he growled angrily as the wind picked up in pace slapping her hair and nearby leaves violently into her face, "Don't talk to me anymore."

"Yoh," she pleaded, "Please stop."

"I'm not a puppet!" He yelled, "I'm not your servant, and you can't tell me what to do! So give him a message for me..."

He approached her with much haste as a thin branch suddenly pinned her onto the tree and wrapped itself tightly around her neck. She struggled to pull herself free and gasped for air, but he continued as if he didn't hear the choking.

"Tell him I'm coming for him," he said in an indescribable tone, "And the next time we meet he's gonna die."

She stared into his eyes, revealing a small hint of terror as he pulled a few strands of her hair gently out of her face. Without saying another word, he walked away and the branch released her, falling sharply to the ground with all of the other floating objects. She held her neck with one hand and watched him disappear into the woods. When he was finally out of sight she fell to her knees and vomited.


	9. Damage

**Damage**

The sun's vivid rays spread over her bedroom as a warm embrace through the window. Despite the beautiful occurrence, she felt cold and folded her arms tightly across her chest as she sat at the edge of her bed. The white buttoned blouse she was wearing began to itch her skin slightly and she nervously tugged at the tail and sighed. After resting her hands loosely onto her lap she stared at the dark denim jeans she wore and released a heavy sigh. The pink strands of her hair had grown past her shoulders over the passing months and were now becoming a great nuisance as she pulled them back away from her neck with the intention of finding a pin. When her bedroom door suddenly opened she jumped and the hair fell against her shoulders and into her face.

He stepped inside slowly and without speaking, closing the door quickly behind him and fiddling with the handle. As he stood in front of her for several moments she stared at the floor and scowled.

"Get out of my room, Ren," she spat bitterly.

"No one's here," he replied blankly.

"I still don't want you here," she answered weakly while staring at her lap.

He ignored her protest and approached the bed, pausing briefly before sitting beside her. She didn't move but exhaled with slight irritation and began tapping her fingers against her thighs.

"Why didn't you tell me about Yoh?" He asked after a hesitant pause.

"There's nothing you could have done about it. There's nothing anyone can do now," she sighed.

"But you should have said something, Tamao," he said softly.

"What do you want?" She snapped angrily.

He shifted his body weight slightly and stared at her without speaking. Tamao's face was hidden by the thick strands of her hair, but he was certain her eyes were filling with tears. She sighed again when he moved closer, and the tapping increased in pace as he moved a few strands of her hair away from her face.

"Don't touch me," she whispered.

"There has to be an explanation for this," he said, ignoring her protest, "Maybe if I talk to him..."

"If you try talking to him, Ren, he'll just blow up at you," she interrupted, "He's out of control."

"We can't just do nothing," he said with a frown.

Tamao stood abruptly and began pacing slowly in front of the bed. Ren watched her briefly but then stood to block her path.

"Just go away and let me figure this out," she groaned.

"I'm worried about you," he whispered as he reached for her hand.

"I said don't touch me!" She yelled, jerking away from his grasp, "Just get out!"

Although they were standing only a few feet apart he didn't move and watched as tears began to escape her eyelids and run quickly down her cheeks. She wiped them away with one of her shirt sleeves and then held one of her hands over her forehead before speaking again.

"We're not friends!" She yelled at him randomly, "I don't want to talk to you, and I don't want to be around you!"

"Perhaps it would be easier to hate you," he whispered.

"You should hate me," she whimpered.

The renewed silence was suddenly unbearable as she searched his eyes with acknowledgment and fear. As Ren took a few steps closer, she backed away and held out her hands as if motioning for him to stop. He paused momentarily to close his eyes and continued his advance until he was inches from her face. She averted him quickly and attempted to walk away but he wrapped his arm around her waist, causing her to stumble.

"Let go of me," she said under her breath as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and secured her balance.

He closed his eyes again as if waiting for something to transpire and released her slowly, taking a few steps away. She stared at him with slight exhaustion as she folded her arms across her chest again and began tapping her foot against the floor.

"What are you doing?" She whispered, "You shouldn't be here. Why are you here?"

"I..." he hesitated, "I don't know."

"It was a mistake, Ren," she pleaded, "It was stupid and...we shouldn't even be talking about it."

"I know," he sighed.

"It's better this way," she continued, "It makes sense for us to hate each other. You think I'm pathetic, don't you?"

"No," he sighed.

"Yes you do!" She growled angrily, "You think I'm weak and stupid. And I think you're an egotistical jerk."

"No you don't," he replied in the same tone.

"You're the most self centered, insensitive, sarcastic man I've ever met in my life, Ren," she groaned, "And I hate you for it."

"That's not true," he said weakly without changing the intensity of his eyes.

"I want you to go away, Ren," she whispered, "I want you to go away."

When he didn't respond she approached him quickly, embracing him warmly and allowing him to kiss her with a great sense of urgency. He held her tightly in his arms and deepened the exchange, pushing her until she fell lightly onto the bed. She whispered something inaudible as he unbuttoned her shirt slowly and kissed her collarbone. As he caressed the soft skin of her torso she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and pulled him down, kissing him with more vigor than before and moaning softly under her breath. Her eyes had been tightly closed for several minutes and when she opened them she noticed his shirt was missing and her jeans were open, revealing a pink lace article underneath them. She could hear random noises, but ignored them in an attempt to momentarily escape reality. But for some reason, the noises grew louder. There were soft thumps and rustling somewhere in the distance, but Ren didn't appear to notice since he was kissing her neck and shoulders without interruption. She closed her eyes again and felt her body shift into a deep trance until fervent knocking shocked her senses violently.

"Tamao?"

She gasped loudly without moving from the bed and froze in her position beneath him. Ren didn't move either and stared at her with an expression she couldn't decipher. Although he appeared to be panting heavily, she was holding her breath and didn't release it when she heard the knocking again.

"Hey it's locked. Are you in there?" Pirika asked softly.

"...Yeah," she replied nervously and remained frozen in her position.

"Horo and I were talking and...hey, can you open the door please?"

"No!" She gasped.

"This is awkward," she sighed, "Come on, Tamao. You've been moping for days now. You should get out of the house. We decided to go looking for Yoh...and we want you to come with us."

"Open the door Tamao," Horo called, "Come on."

"Okay, give me minute," she replied nervously, "Just...give me a minute."

"Alright," Horo said blankly, "We'll be outside."

"Hey, have you seen Ren?" Pirika asked worriedly.

"No," she said quickly.

"Well, if you see him could you tell him I want him to come too?"

"I'll tell him."

"Great. Hurry up, okay?"

"...Okay."

The thumping carried down the hallway and decreased in volume until she could hear a door open and close. Ren stared at her intently before deciding to speak.

"Tamao..."

"She's looking for you," she interrupted as she pushed him back and sat upright on the bed, "Get out of here."

He considered her words carefully as if suddenly realizing their predicament and redressed without responding. She refused to look at him and didn't move until he was near the bedroom door.

"Don't come back," she whispered.

Ren opened the door slowly and sauntered into the hallway in a slight daze, closing it securely behind him. As he took a few steps forward he stopped abruptly when he noticed he wasn't alone. Horo was standing a few feet away with his arms folded over his chest and staring at him with an expression of fierce wrath.

* * *

Anna walked slowly down the hallway in deep thought and entered the bedroom with a slight frown. Despite being mid day, Hao had insisted upon retiring early and had been in bed for an hour staring at the ceiling. As she approached the bed, she stopped abruptly and watched the slight stirring of the cocoon of blankets burying him from her view.

"Hao," she called, "Are you awake?"

"Yes," he replied blankly without uncovering his head.

She climbed into the bed beside him and dug underneath the coverings to find his body. When she found him she pulled the blankets over her shoulders and wrapped her arm around his waist, resting her head on his chest. He pushed the top blanket down, uncovering their heads and continued staring at the ceiling.

"You can't go to bed this early," she chided, "You won't be able to sleep tonight."

"You're probably right," he sighed, "I'm sorry."

"What?" She frowned slightly and raised her head to view his expression.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her forehead without responding. Anna stared at his chest with confusion and bit her bottom lip before deciding to speak again.

"What's wrong with you?" She blurted.

"Nothing," he replied softly, "I'm just a little tired."

Hao's tone was deeply troubling and she pulled away from him to sit upright. He followed her and shifted to eliminate the space between them and sighed.

"What is it, Hao?" She asked again, "What's wrong with you?"

"You shouldn't worry about me," he said warmly while smiling at her, "I just need rest."

Anna stared into her lap for a few moments but frowned again when he continued.

"I love you," he said calmly.

"What?"

"You believe that, don't you?" He asked with slight desperation.

"Hao," she snapped, "I want you to tell me what's wrong with you right now!"

"There's nothing wrong with me, Anna," he replied softly, "I just want you to know that I love you."

She jumped out of the bed suddenly and threw a pillow at him, and he stood abruptly with a frown.

"What was that for?" He asked as if wounded.

"What is this?!" She screamed at him, "Stop acting like this. What are you doing?"

He stared at her silently and tilted his head as if he didn't understand the question.

"Snap out of it!" She yelled.

"You're hurting my feelings, Anna," he said softly as his eyes began to fill with tears, "Don't you love me?"

She stared at him wide eyed with her mouth slightly agape, unable to respond. He turned away from her to wipe the tears away but quickly faced her and sniffed audibly. Silence filled the room quickly as he walked around the bed to stand in front of her and she held her breath.

"I'm sorry I made you mad," he said weakly, "I just wanted you to know how I feel. You're not going to leave me...are you?"

Anna took a few steps back and gasped as overwhelming nausea flooded her senses, "What's wrong with you?" She whispered.

"Please don't leave me," he whimpered as the tears rolled down his cheeks uncontrollably, "I can't...live without you."

"Stop, Hao," she pleaded as her voice revealed great alarm.

"I know you went to see him," he sighed, "But, I don't care about that. You can see him as much as you want...just...don't leave."

He took a few steps closer and she stepped back, unable to decipher the situation. The truth was that she was terrified and was unsure of how to handle him. Hao had never been vulnerable before, and she didn't think he was capable of being...weak.

"I won't leave," she whispered, "I promise."

He smiled at her but his expression quickly changed into a blank one as his eyes rolled back behind his lids and he fell onto the floor. She stared at him, momentarily startled and unable to move but quickly regained her composure and knelt beside him.

"Hao?" She called, "Hao, wake up."

He didn't respond and appeared to be unconscious. She stood again and took a few steps back as she covered her mouth with one of her hands. Her mind raced wildly as she stared at him in shock. For the first time in ages, she had no idea how to handle the current situation and was beginning to panic. She blinked her eyes slowly and began heading for the hallway to find a phone when she saw him move.

"Hao?" She called weakly.

"Yeah," he replied calmly as he sat up and eventually stood.

She stared at him silently for several seconds and he frowned at her.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yes," he said calmly, "Why?"

"You...passed out," she started.

"Did I?" He asked blankly.

She didn't respond and stared at him with a frown. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her waist with an indifferent smile.

"Interesting," he added but quickly changed the subject, "What did the doctor say?"

"I'm fine," she replied weakly, "Stomach bug, I guess."

"Good," he said as his kissed her forehead, "I'm hungry. Let's have an early dinner."

He released her and walked toward the bedroom door but stopped when noticing she wasn't following him. Turning around, he noticed her face was very pale and she stared at him with an expression of confusion and fear.

"What is it?" He asked calmly.

"Nothing," she sighed after several seconds of silence, "Let's go."


	10. Prelude

**Prelude**

The wind rustled through the woods in an abnormal pattern, stirring the hardened leaves and broken branches in random configurations through the air. This new speed was deeply cumbersome to Pirika, who previously left her jacket behind and was now reconsidering her decision. Ren had been walking beside her for several minutes and she held his hand tightly in hers and shivered. He didn't seem to notice the display and continued his trek in silence, crumpling the leaves underneath his feet.

"It's cold out here," she said finally, staring at him briefly and pulling him closer.

When he didn't respond she frowned and darted her eyes to the ground.

"What's wrong with you, Ren?" She asked with deep concern.

"Nothing," he replied quickly without looking at her.

"You seem...different," she sighed, "Why are you so quiet?"

"There's nothing to talk about," he mumbled.

She wanted to say more but couldn't find the words for some reason. He stared blankly ahead as the silent walking continued, and she watched the trees aimlessly.

Tamao and Horo had been walking behind them for some time but were now far away due to their slower pace. Tamao was suddenly uncomfortable with the silence coupled with the vigorous activity from the wind. She folded her arms over her chest and sighed audibly, and when he stopped abruptly she frowned.

"Not now," she mumbled.

"I want to talk about this," Horo said angrily, ignoring her comment.

"Horo," she sighed, "There's really nothing to talk about. It's...nothing."

"I'm not stupid, Tamao," he spat, "Tell me what happened."

"Noting happened," she groaned.

"You suck at lying," he frowned, "Tell me right now."

"We should be looking for Yoh," Tamao replied in an irritated tone, "We're wasting time."

As she attempted to walk away from him he grabbed her arm tightly and pulled her toward him roughly. She tried to free herself from his grasp but he was too strong for her and she sighed.

"Let go of me, Horo," she said weakly, "Stop this."

"We're not leaving this spot until you tell me what happened," he growled, "I didn't knock his teeth out because you begged me not to. I didn't tell Pirika about seeing him because _you _ begged me not to. I want answers and I want them now. And if you don't give them to me we'll go up there and see what my sister thinks about all of this...and then I get to beat the crap out of him."

"Fine!" She whispered quickly, "Stop it. Just...stop it, okay?"

"Spill it," he groaned.

"We had a fight..." she started.

"_You do realize you're insane, right?" He asked her with great disdain and sarcasm._

_She turned around very slowly, sightly startled by the sound of his voice, and frowned, "What?"_

"_You have to be insane. You can't really be this stupid," he continued._

_Tamao's eyes narrowed once he was in focus and she folded her arms over her chest, "What are you talking about, Ren?"_

"_Do you really think Yoh vomiting his blood is normal? I'll let you in on a secret, Tamao: IT'S NOT NORMAL."_

"_What do you want?" She sighed as she rolled her eyes._

"_You're pathetic, Tamao," he snarled, ignoring her question, "Do you really think trying to kill him will get him to love you?"_

"_...WHAT?"_

"_Pathetic and desperate. He doesn't love you and he never will, yet you keep hanging on to him in hopes that he'll change his mind. This training is stupid, and you know it. But you think somewhere in your tiny brain that if you work him to death he'll appreciate your time and love you," Ren stared at her angrily and took a few steps closer before continuing, "You accepted becoming his fiancé because you knew that was the closest you'll ever get to being his lover...and he still doesn't notice you. You claim to be his friend, but you're only a parasite feeding on his kindness and vulnerability. I hate desperate women."_

"_I am not desperate or pathetic," she replied angrily, "How dare you! I have no schemes, Ren. I'm training him because he needs to be trained. I accepted being his fiancé because he chose me and wanted me to. I'm helping him because I'M HIS FRIEND. You don't even know what it means to be a friend. You call yourself his friend, but you let him look like a fool because you'd rather be loyal to Anna? What kind of a friend is that?"_

"_Once again you don't know what you're talking about," he groaned._

"_You covered for her. For MONTHS. Who does that? You knew she was hurting him. You knew she was with Hao. You KNEW EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON...but you just looked the other way. You're no friend. You're a coward."_

"_I'm the coward?" He growled._

"_Yes!" She screamed, "You came in here to ridicule me...to try and make me feel bad about myself, but I don't. I don't regret anything I've done because I know I've done these things to help him not hurt him. You should have told him, Ren. You should have said something."_

"_Yes, yes I know you would have told him immediately. They would have parted ways much sooner and he would be indebted to you, right?" He snarled, "It was more complicated than that. But you hated Anna so much...you're happy she's gone aren't you? You couldn't wait for her to leave. You have what you want now, but somehow that doesn't satisfy you..."_

"_You bastard!" She yelled, interrupting him, "Anna was my friend! I loved her. She didn't just betray him: she betrayed all of us. And when she left...she left all of us. She left me! I will never forgive her for what she's done to him. I'll never forgive her for walking away! But not because of Yoh. It's because of Hao! I...I don't have to explain myself to you. I don't owe you anything, Ren."_

"_So you're trying to convince yourself you liked her?" He asked coldly._

_She slapped him hard in the face suddenly, sending crippling pain momentarily through his entire body. Ren stared at her in partial shock as she pointed one of her fingers at him._

"_You think you're so perfect," she growled, "You sit on this throne looking down on everyone...thinking you're better than everyone. You think you know everything, and most of the time you know nothing. You don't know me, Ren. You know nothing about me. You're such a jerk...I don't even know if you can see it. No one likes you except for Pirika, but that's because she's blinded by your shiny hair..."_

_He tilted his head slightly but she ignored it._

"_I don't know why he thinks you're his friend. I don't know why he likes you. The only reason you're here is because of Yoh. I hate you, and I wish you would just go away..."_

_He interrupted her train of thought and her words when he pressed his lips against hers. She slapped him instinctively and took a step back._

"_What are you doing?" She whispered._

_He stared at her with entranced eyes and didn't answer. After brief seconds of uncomfortable silence she reacted without thought, approaching him quickly and returning his kiss aggressively. He wrapped his arms around her waist tightly but released her quickly and pushed her back roughly. She fell onto the bed and sat upright briefly before falling onto her back, kicking him in the leg as he approached. He kissed her vigorously again and ripped her shirt open, causing the buttons to ricochet against the wall and bounce across the floor. She removed his shirt with greater care, but then he pushed her shoulders back against the bed, partially restraining her movements. When he bit her randomly she slapped him and then allowed him to kiss her neck. She unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans very slowly and hesitantly, but once they were open he pulled them violently from her body, revealing beautiful black lace panties that matched her seductive bra. Much to her surprise he didn't pause as he slid his fingers underneath the fabric and brushed her bare skin, and she gasped when he ripped the seam open..."_

"Stop," Horo said abruptly waving his hand, "Don't tell me any more."

"I didn't want to tell you because..." she replied.

"Shut up for a minute," he interrupted with his eyes closed.

Tamao stared at the ground worriedly as they stood in silence. Horo didn't move and his eyes remained closed, but she noticed his hands were balled into tight fists at his sides. She waited a few more seconds, but the silence was suddenly unbearable and she interrupted.

"That's why I didn't want to tell you," she whispered.

Horo didn't speak so she continued.

"This is a terrible situation; I know that," she sighed nervously, "You don't have to tell me it was stupid. It's the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life. But..." She hesitated as her eyes began to fill with tears, "You can't tell her. I know you want to, but you can't. You'll break her heart for no reason. This isn't a good time. Okay...but just wait until everything with Yoh settles down. There's too much going on right now. "

He opened his eyes slowly and glared at her but didn't respond.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed, "I'm so sorry. I don't have any excuses. Please...please don't hate me."

"TAMAO!!" Pirika screamed suddenly, breaking her concentration, "It's Yoh!"

"They found him," she said softly as she stared into his eyes with slight desperation, "We should probably..."

He walked away from her before she could finish her statement and she followed after brief hesitation.

When Horo and Tamao reached Pirika and Ren they were standing in a clearing in silence. Pirika held one of her hands over her mouth and stared wide eyed at the ground. Ren stared blankly ahead and buried his hands in his pockets. Yoh was in front of them, but no one was moving or talking.

"What's wrong?" Tamao asked before standing beside Pirika.

She noticed then that Yoh was lying on the ground in front of a tree curled into a tight ball. His hair hid his facial features and one of his arms was sprawled out in front of him. It was certain that he was breathing; they could see the inflating and collapsing of his chest and stomach, but he didn't move.

"Yoh?" Horo called softly, "Can you hear me?"

Yoh mumbled something inaudible but remained in his position.

"Can I talk to him alone?" Pirika asked suddenly.

"What?" Ren replied with a frown.

"No, that's not a good idea," Horo said quickly.

"Please? If something happens, I'll call you. Just stand over there," she pointed.

Tamao walked away slowly as if acknowledging her request, and Ren reluctantly followed. Horo suddenly resented the fact that they were walking away together and decided to follow. Pirika watched until they were far enough away to not be heard and then she knelt in front of Yoh on the ground.

"Yoh?" She said sadly placing her hand over his, "If you can hear me squeeze my hand."

He squeezed her hand gently and then placed his other hand over hers. She held her breath for a few seconds as he slowly sat upright, folding his legs underneath him and stared into his lap.

"What's wrong, Yoh?" She asked without releasing his hand.

"I don't know," he said weakly.

"How did you get here?"

"I don't know."

She frowned at his responses and released his hand briefly to move a few strands of his hair away from his face. He didn't resist her and allowed her to place the palm of her hand against his cheek.

"You don't remember?" She asked softly.

"...No."

"Do you remember the fight you had with Tamao?" She asked worriedly.

"No...yeah...yes," he rambled.

"You do?"

"No."

"Did you go to the market today?"

"I...don't know."

"Yoh," she sighed, "Something is wrong. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm very worried about you. I think you've lost some of your memories."

He looked into her eyes but didn't speak so she continued.

"I want to help you. If you can tell me how...I'll help you in any way I can. I'm your friend. I love you. I want you to be okay. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

His left eye twitched slightly as she spoke but she ignored it.

"I miss you. I miss the kind, loving, caring Yoh. I miss you being lazy and funny and carefree. You used to be so calm. You used to be so happy..." She hesitated as her eyes began to fill with tears.

Yoh continued staring at her in silence, and his eye twitching was more noticeable now.

"Come back to me. Come back to us. We miss you, Yoh. We love you. We..."

He rushed her suddenly, wrapping his hands tightly around her neck and forcing her to the ground. She hit his arms frantically with her fists but she couldn't fight back very well. His strength was unimaginable and she panicked.

"I can't breathe!" She whispered fearfully, "Please...I can't breathe!"

He tightened his grip on her neck as the color in her face grew red. She looked away and held his wrists with her hands, kicking her feet frantically beneath him. Yoh saw the others running toward him but didn't move from his position and squeezed tighter.

"Yoh, stop!" Tamao pleaded. Ren and Horo approached as well with looks of shock and fear.

"Let go of her, Yoh! What are you doing?" Horo yelled.

"Please," she struggled, "I can't...breathe..I can't..."

Horo and Ren were finally close enough to attack him but were abruptly stopped by a severe gust of wind that slammed them mercilessly against nearby trees.

"No," Tamao whispered.

"What the hell?" Horo groaned as he stood on his feet.

Ren didn't speak and they ran toward him again, this time at different angles. Horo ran for him head on and Ren from the side. Tamao closed her eyes and clutched her chest with her hand as if waiting for the inevitable. The wind pushed them back again except this time with more force, and small pebbles hit them randomly.

"WHAT?!" Horo screamed.

"It's Yoh," Tamao said sadly, "He's doing that."

Ren stared at her but seemed to be at a loss for words. Horo slapped his forehead with his hand and growled.

"He's gonna kill her!" Horo screamed, "I have to stop him!"

"Wait," Ren said slowly, "What do you mean, Tamao?"

"He's controlling the wind. You won't get to her," she said sadly.

They watched Yoh in silence with looks of bewilderment, horror and hopelessness. Pirika was no longer kicking her legs and seemed to be losing consciousness since she was no longer struggling to speak. He held her neck tighter as if her current condition was unsatisfactory, and appeared to be talking to her.

"Yoh, please let her go," Tamao pleaded softly, "This isn't her fault. It's my fault. You're mad at me; not her."

He didn't respond so she tried again.

"Please, Yoh. If you're angry you should take it out on me. I deserve it."

"Don't tell him that!" Ren whispered.

"Please. Let her go. I know you can hear me, Yoh," Tamao continued, ignoring him.

Yoh released his hands from her neck and waited for her to begin gasping for air before punching her repeatedly in the face.

"Stop it!" Horo screamed, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Stop," Tamao said sternly, grabbing his arm, "Don't yell at him. It'll make things worse."

"Do you not see what he's doing?" Horo replied angrily, "He's trying to kill her!"

"Yoh," she continued, "Please stop. I'm sorry I made you so angry. I'm sorry for everything. But we can fix this."

"Just let her go," Ren added.

The punching stopped and he stared into her emerald eyes with great wrath. She wasn't looking at him, but her eyes were filled with tears, and she seemed to be struggling to stay awake.

"Stop crying," he said coldly as he grabbed a thick lock of her hair and slammed the back of her head against the ground.

Horo held his face in his hands without speaking and fell to his knees.

"Yoh, look at me," Tamao pleaded, "Please, look at me."

He barely raised his head enough to glare at her and noticed she was stepping closer. The wind did not restrict her movements and she knelt beside him slowly.

"Get off of her, Yoh," she said slowly, "You're going to kill her."

He stared at her in confusion as if he didn't understand her statement.

"Stop, Yoh. Stop this," she whispered.

Yoh crawled away from Pirika abruptly and continued staring at Tamao in confusion. Horo and Ren approached them quickly without speaking, and Horo lifted his sister delicately into his arms and held her close to his chest.

"You did the right thing, Yoh," Tamao said softly with a warm smile.

"What are you talking about?" Yoh replied weakly.


	11. Scarring

**Scarring**

Tamao rested her body against the adjacent wall and stared blankly out of the window. The trees were swaying delicately in the breeze and the sun's rays glimmered through the nearby woods in random luminescent patterns. She folded her arms over her chest tightly and exhaled deeply before closing her eyes. Pirika stirred in her bed suddenly, and Tamao turned around quickly to sit beside her on the edge.

"Hey," she said with a weak smile, "You're awake."

"Yeah," Pirika replied before clearing her throat, "What's going on?"

"I gave you some tea to calm your senses and help you sleep. You've been here for a few weeks."

"I remember, I just..." Pirika paused suddenly and sat upright very slowly.

"Don't move too much," Tamao said worriedly as she shifted her body weight and moved closer.

Pirika looked into her eyes with an indescribable expression. Tamao didn't know whether she was afraid, angry or sad, but she noticed her scars were deeper than expected and was quickly distracted. She tried not to stare at them, but her attempts were obvious and Pirika darted her eyes away quickly.

"They're still pretty bad," she mumbled.

"But they're healing," Tamao reassured her, "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"I want to see my brother," she said quickly.

"Sure."

Tamao walked slowly to the bedroom door and when she opened it Horo was already standing in the hallway waiting. Pirika smiled at him with a certain excitement and he rushed the bed quickly, sitting beside her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"Hey, Sis," he said cheerfully.

"Hey," she replied warmly.

"I'll leave you alone, okay?" Tamao called as she headed into the hallway.

"Can you close the door please?" Pirika asked as her tone shifted.

"Okay."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest as he tightened his embrace. They sat on the bed in silence for several moments before he decided to speak.

"I thought I was going to lose you," he whispered.

"But you didn't," she replied softly.

He ran his fingers through her hair slowly before resuming his original position. She clutched his t shirt in her hand suddenly as her eyes began to fill with tears.

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

"Is...is he here?" She whispered fearfully.

"Hey, wait a minute," he said softly, holding her tighter, "There's nothing to be afraid of. I won't let anything happen to you, okay?"

"Is he in the house?" She asked again as if ignoring his statement.

"Yeah," he whispered.

"Please lock the door," she whispered as she curled into a tight ball in his lap.

* * *

Tamao stood in front of his bedroom door for several moments in silence. She stared at the wood and sighed, closing her eyes briefly and folding her arms over her chest. After much hesitation she opened the door slowly and stepped inside his room, quickly closing the door behind her.

He was standing in front of the window completely still. His back was facing her so she couldn't see his expression, and his thick auburn hair spread wildly over his neck and shoulders. His hands were balled into fists at his sides and his breathing was slightly elevated. She took a few steps closer and exhaled softly.

"Are you angry?" She asked weakly.

He didn't respond.

"Yoh, talk to me," she pleaded, stepping closer, "I want to help you."

"What did you call me?" He asked in a wrathful tone.

"What?"

He turned around slowly and she took a few steps back when she saw the burning ferocity in his eyes.

"Who the hell is that?" He growled.

She stared at him with confusion and fear and hesitated to speak, "I...just want to help you."

"What makes you think I need your help?" He took a few steps closer and she backed away quickly.

"You're not well. Something is wrong with you, and we need to fix it. Yoh, if we could just..."

"If you call me that again I'll rip your tongue out," he interrupted her.

"Why are you so angry?" She asked fearfully, "Let me help you figure it out."

He hesitated suddenly and closed his eyes, "I'm not angry," he said weakly.

"What is it then?" She whispered.

He began pacing back and forth in front of her and stared at the floor intently. He bit his bottom lip and his eyes began to fill with tears.

"I don't know," he whimpered.

"Well, I'll help you figure it out, Yoh. Can I call you Yoh?" She replied with a weak smile.

"What else would you call me?" He asked with a confused frown.

"You told me not to call you Yoh," she said as her voice trailed off.

"When did I say...why would I say that?"

"I don't know," Tamao sighed with genuine relief, "But I'm glad you're back."

He balled his hands into fists and exhaled weakly without looking at her. She took a few hesitant steps closer and gasped lightly when he pulled her close and embraced her tightly.

"Yoh," she whispered.

"I don't know what to do," he said fearfully, "I can't control it, Tamao."

"We'll figure this out together, okay?" She said softly while rubbing his back slowly with her hands.

"It's too late for that," he whispered.

She pulled back abruptly to look in to his eyes, "What do you mean, Yoh?"

"I have to end it. I have to finish this now before...before it takes over me."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tamao replied nervously.

"It's the only way," he sighed as he took a few steps away and leaned against the side of the window.

"What are you planning to do, Yoh? You're scaring me..."

* * *

"He plans to kill me. That's the only way he sees out of this situation," Hao said blankly.

His tone was very uncomfortable for Anna, and she stared across the table at him with deep concern.

"You seem surprised," he added.

"What's wrong with him, Hao?" She asked, completely unaware of her fearful tone.

"He's reached his limit."

She frowned at him so he decided to elaborate.

"He can't control his new level of furyoku. This level is too powerful for his brain to handle, so his personality has shifted to wrath. Wrath is the easiest emotion to release large levels of raw power, but it is also the hardest emotion to control. So it's only a matter of time now."

"A matter of time...for what?" She whispered.

"The power will consume him. His brain will shut down and he'll die," he paused suddenly to take a sip of his tea and she held her breath for a few seconds.

"What's the alternative?" She pleaded.

"I can put him out of his misery," he sighed, "And if he intends to go through with his plan I'll have to kill him anyway."

"I meant an alternative to having him die," she said breathlessly.

"You're the only reason he's still alive, Anna," he said calmly, "But now he's forcing my hand."

"If you love me you would find a way to save him," she pleaded sadly.

"So you can tell him about the baby?" He asked randomly.

She gasped involuntarily but didn't speak.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice?" He asked calmly, "I knew you were pregnant before you went to the doctor. Stomach bugs don't last for four months."

Nausea overwhelmed her suddenly and she swallowed hard, staring blankly at the table.

"Besides, you're showing," he added.

"This has affected you too," she replied, quickly changing the subject, "The stronger he gets, the weaker you become."

"The effects are negligible," he said dismissively, "His changes were too drastic."

"So you expect me to just sit here and wait for him to die?" Anna growled bitterly.

"You won't have to wait for very long, my love."


	12. Purgation

**Purgation**

Tamao walked slowly down the dirt path in silence. Her pace was enough to keep him in front of her, but she was lagging behind slightly. She stared at the trees surrounding them and exhaled as the wind blew a few leaves over her feet. Yoh was going to go through with this, and she wouldn't be able to stop him. She knew this but still wanted to intervene somehow. In the beginning she was out for Hao's blood; she wanted him to pay for all of Anna's mistakes and Yoh's pain. Killing him was the only thing in her mind that made sense. But now that she was faced with so many terrible changes in their lives, she wondered if all of her actions up to this point were worth the heartache.

Maybe it wasn't worth it.

"Yoh?" She called weakly, "We can still turn back. We can still go home."

He didn't respond and quickened his pace, forcing her to a slight jog to catch up with him.

"Yoh?" She repeated desperately, "It doesn't have to end this way."

Yoh stopped his pace abruptly and she instinctively took a few stumbling steps to follow. He balled his hands into tight fists and turned around quickly to face her with clenched teeth.

"I didn't ask you to come with me," he growled, "I didn't ask for your help...I don't need your help!"

"Yoh..." She wanted to respond but he continued as his voice elevated and he stepped closer.

"I'm doing this with or without you!" He fumed, "If you don't want to do this go home!"

"I'm not leaving you," she frowned, "I can't...I can't leave you like this, Yoh."

"Well then shut up and come on!" He snapped angrily as he continued his pace.

Tamao stared at his back for a few seconds as a single tear rolled down her cheek and onto her shirt. As she sighed heavily, she shifted her body weight, oscillating from one foot to the other and then reluctantly followed. She increased her pace to a jog to catch up with him, but only enough to stay closely behind. There was no way she could change his mind, but she didn't want him to be alone. She was his fiancé and had to take care of him no matter what it cost her.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked suddenly.

"What?"

"I thought you wanted to kill him," he said in a frustrated tone, "I thought you wanted him dead."

"I did," she said weakly.

"Why are you backing down now? He still deserves to die," he growled as his pace slowed.

"There are other ways to get revenge," she replied sadly.

"This is not about revenge," he snarled, "I should have done this a long time ago."

"If it's not revenge, Yoh..." she hesitated, "What's it about?"

"I'm stronger now than I've ever been in my life," he said as he stopped and stared blankly ahead, "Stronger than Hao; stronger than anybody. He has no reason to exist anymore. He has no purpose."

Tamao stared at him with a mixed expression of shock and fear as he fixated on a nearby tree. His entranced eyes revealed an expression of malice, forcing her to take a step back.

"What are you talking about, Yoh?" She whispered fearfully.

"Hao is irrelevant," he continued, turning to face her, "The world has no use for him. I'm doing the world a favor."

"Are you listening to yourself?" She replied as she clutched the fabric of her shirt with her hand.

"Don't you get it, Tamao?" He asked as he took a step forward, "I'm unstoppable now. I'm invincible. I can change my destiny...and his."

"Who are you?" She whispered as she took a few steps back.

"I won't torture him," he said, ignoring her, "This will be quick, Tamao. I promise."

"No," she said suddenly, "I can't let you go through with this, Yoh. I can't let you do this."

"You think you can stop me?"

Tamao held her breath suddenly and stared at the ground. He approached her very slowly and she gasped once he was inches from her face. She swallowed hard as he moved a few pink strands of hair out of her face and kissed her gently on the neck.

"You shouldn't say stupid things like that," he whispered in her ear.

"Stop," she whimpered weakly, trying unsuccessfully to repel the tears that were filling her eyes.

Yoh wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to his body. She stared ahead fearfully as the tears escaped at rapid pace, spilling over onto his t shirt.

"I'm doing this for you too, you know," he said softly as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"You're not doing this for me," she replied sadly.

He pulled away from her slowly and smiled before punching her in the stomach. She stumbled back a few steps and folded her arms over her torso as she grimaced in pain.

"Why are you being so difficult?" He asked calmly as he approached her again.

"Stop," she struggled to respond and fell to her knees, planting her hands in front of her onto the ground.

"Why are you trying to save him?" His tone shifted slightly as he clenched his teeth, "Why have you betrayed me?"

"Wha...What are you talking about?" She whimpered as she struggled to breathe.

Yoh kicked her in the hip, and she groaned while falling over onto her side into the dirt. He kicked her again until she was lying on her back, and then grabbed a thick lock of her hair. Tamao screamed at him as he dragged her by the hair until she hit a nearby tree. Several seconds passed before she was able to stand on her feet and she rested her back against the bark. She closed her eyes when he leaned forward to peer into them and he slapped her twice before pausing.

"Look at me," he growled.

She didn't respond and exhaled weakly.

"I know you heard me," he mumbled, punching her hard in the face.

"So you attack people who can't fight back?" She asked weakly with her eyes closed, "That makes you feel stronger?"

"Are you mocking me?" He asked angrily as he wrapped his hands around her neck.

"If you're going to kill me, do it quickly," she said sadly, attempting to mask her fear, "Maybe then it won't be on your conscience."

"Yoh, what are you doing?!"

The familiar voice shook him and he backed away from Tamao in slight confusion. She paused briefly before opening her eyes to survey her surroundings.

"What is wrong with you?!" She spoke again as she stood beside Tamao and placed a hand delicately on her shoulder.

Yoh sat in front of them and curled his knees into his chest, staring blankly at the ground.

"Anna?" Tamao stared at her in disbelief, as if she had been an angel.

"Are you okay?" She seemed to ignore Tamao's alarm and spoke with great warmth.

"Yeah," she replied weakly, "What are you doing here?"

"We were taking a walk and heard you screaming."

Hao seemed to appear out of nowhere, and Tamao blinked a few times before realizing it was no illusion.

"Hao?" She whispered.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" He asked worriedly.

The warmth and concern in his voice was foreign to her and she was suddenly suspicious of his motives.

"What do you want?" Tamao demanded angrily.

"To make sure you're okay, of course," he said with a smile.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Tamao blurted with irritation.

"Walk with me," Anna interrupted, grabbing her hand and leading her along the dirt path.

Hao stood in front of Yoh for several moments before speaking. Yoh hadn't looked at him since he appeared, and rested his chin on top of his folded arms. His eyes revealed sadness and fear, and his breathing slowed rapidly.

"You're wondering why you were just choking Tamao?" Hao asked finally.

"Don't talk to me," he replied bitterly.

"It's because you've lost yourself," he continued despite Yoh's protest, "You're out of control."

"I don't need advice from you," Yoh snapped, "And I definitely don't want it."

"I told Anna I would kill you soon," he said randomly.

Yoh jumped to his feet and stared at him angrily without responding.

"But honestly, I have no desire to at this point," he said calmly.

"I still want you dead," Yoh growled.

"Of course," he replied, "Which is why I'll give you that chance."

"What?"

"But I'll warn you," Hao continued, "If you go through with this you will die."

"Are you saying I can't defeat you?" Yoh snarled, "You think I can't kill you?"

"No," he said with a giggle, "I'm saying you won't."

Yoh punched him in the face suddenly, a blow he didn't appear to expect, and he fell to the ground. Tamao gasped nervously as they watched them, but Anna restrained her from approaching.

"Get up so I can show you why you're wrong," Yoh sneered.

"A sucker punch, Yoh?" He said sarcastically as he returned to his feet, "How insensitive of you."

"You seem so confident," Yoh said angrily, "Let's settle this now so I can wipe that smile off of your face."

"Without a weapon? Where's your little sword?" Hao taunted.

"I don't need a weapon to defeat you," he replied as he lifted his hands, "Only these."

"Anna, you should go home," Hao said warmly, "This may get ugly."

"I'm not leaving," she replied defiantly.

"You don't want her to watch you lose?" Yoh growled.

"No, she still cares about you," Hao replied calmly, "I knew she wouldn't leave, but this will be hard for her."

A sudden violent burst of wind lifted Hao into the air and hurled him into a nearby tree. He was momentarily stunned but returned to his feet and began walking forward. He dodged a large rock that was heading for his face, and once he was in Yoh's vicinity again he sighed.

"I was explaining something to you."

"I'm sick of you talking," Yoh said through clenched teeth, "Do I have to crack your skull open for you to take me seriously?"

"So you've learned something new," he replied, ignoring his contempt, "I wonder how many elements you can control?"

"Shut up and fight me!" Yoh snapped.

"Can you control fire?" Hao asked calmly, "That would be interesting."

"Stop it!" He yelled as the rocks and broken leaves around him began to levitate.

"So you can't control fire," Hao continued, "What a shame."

The wind violently changed its pace and pattern as the leaves swirled around them. Yoh clenched his hands into tight fists at his sides as he took a few steps forward, and the nearby trees began to bend inward.

"Stop talking," he growled, "Stop talking and fight me."

"You can only control the wind?" Hao asked, completely ignoring him, "That seems very limited."

"STOP STALLING, HAO!" He screamed at him as the rocks began exploding, "What the hell are you waiting..."

Yoh paused suddenly and stared at him as the dirt spewed out of the ground in random patterns. He closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them he smiled.

"You can't fight me, can you?" He said slowly, "That's why you're stalling."

Anna gasped involuntarily from the accusation and stared at Hao in shock. Tamao folded her arms tightly over her torso and bit her bottom lip.

"You've lost your power," Yoh continued with enthusiasm, "All of it."

"I don't need it," Hao replied calmly.

"He's lost his power?" Tamao asked in disbelief, "...How did that happen?"

Anna didn't respond and her eyes filled slowly with tears. She held her stomach and lowered her head.

"Anna?" Tamao asked, "What does this mean?"

"He knew this was going to happen," she whispered to herself, "He let it happen."

"I didn't realize killing you would be this easy," Yoh said warmly, "You can't even put up a fight."

"What makes you think you have the advantage here?" Hao asked, "I already told you the end result."

"Do you honestly think you can defeat me now?" Yoh asked with a laugh, "Now I know you're crazy."

"Why don't you attack me and find out?"

Yoh stared at him with slight confusion, but quickly recovered and balled his hands into fists again. He took a few steps forward and growled.

"Don't attack him, Yoh," Anna whispered suddenly.

"What?" Tamao replied with a frown.

"Why are you hesitant to attack me?" Hao asked blankly, "I'm defenseless, remember?"

"Yoh, just walk away!" Anna called to him suddenly, "You need to walk away."

"Stay out of this, Anna!" He snapped, pointing a finger at her, "I can fight him! I can beat him!"

"She's smarter than you," Hao sighed as he folded his arms over his chest.

Anna closed her eyes and clutched her stomach. When she began taking a few steps away Tamao restrained her lightly and frowned.

"What's going on?" She demanded, "Why did you tell him that?"

"He can't win this fight," Anna replied sadly.

"That doesn't make any sense. Hao doesn't have any power. He can't even attack. Yoh can beat him!"

"He's reached his limit," Anna interrupted.

"...What?"

"I didn't understand it fully when Hao told me before, but...now it's clear."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Anna," Tamao said angrily, "If Yoh's in danger, we have to stop them now!"

"I can hear you," Yoh called angrily, "You're talking about me like I'm not standing here. The only one in danger is Hao."

"But seriously," Hao said randomly, "You should go back to the house, Anna."

"Yoh, you don't understand what's happening," Anna sighed, "You have to just..."

"Shut up!" Yoh snarled, "Don't tell me what to do! I know perfectly well what's happening here. You're stalling for him too. You're both defending him like he's the good guy. You're trying to trap me."

"Yoh, that's insane," Tamao pleaded, "If Anna says you can't fight him, there has to be a reason. I don't want you to get hurt."

"If he attacks, Tamao," Hao corrected her, "he'll die."

"You can't control your power, Yoh. You can't direct it if you can't control it," Anna pleaded, "And he'll absorb it."

"What?" Yoh frowned, "If he absorbs it he'll die, not me."

"Your logic is faulty," Hao said softly but was ignored.

"Can he absorb it, Anna?" Tamao asked fearfully, "Can he absorb Yoh's power?"

"Don't do this, Yoh," Anna called again, ignoring her, "Think about what you're doing."

"Yoh, let's go home...Please? Let's just go," Tamao said nervously, "We can't take this chance."

"Both of you stop it!" Yoh yelled at them, "I'm finishing this right now, and no one's gonna stop me!"

"I can honestly say I've never seen you this angry before," Hao said calmly, "It's disturbing."

"Was that sarcasm?" Yoh asked in irritation.

"No, I meant it."

Silence echoed through the woods for an uncomfortable length of time and was only accompanied by the tumultuous wind and rustling leaves. Anna held her stomach again and sighed. Hao smiled at Yoh suddenly, fueling his anger, and Tamao began fidgeting and biting her bottom lip.

"Please Yoh," she said as her eyes began to fill with tears, "Let's go home."

"I'm sick of this!" He screamed as he held out his hands, "I'm putting an end to you now!"

A magnificent white light appeared in the palm of his hands suddenly as the wind began hurling large rocks and uprooting nearby trees. The small sparks developed into an orb shaped mass that was almost larger than his body. He stared at it with excitement and anticipation as it grew, and Anna swallowed hard.

"What...is that?" Tamao asked fearfully as she took a few steps back.

Hao's smile faded, but no one seemed to notice this change. He dropped his hands to his sides and waited for the inevitable.

"Die," Yoh whispered weakly, "Just...die."

He released the mass violently, and when it reached Hao it exploded. Tamao and Anna covered their eyes from the blinding aftermath and fell to the ground from the force. Painful light illuminated the entire area for several moments, and when it subsided, Tamao was crouched near a rock holding Anna in her arms.

"Are you okay?" She whispered.

"Yeah," Anna replied weakly, "Where are they?"

Tamao paused for a moment, realizing she could now see ahead, and slowly stood. Anna followed and stared ahead with a saddened expression of acknowledgment.

Hao was still standing in his previous position with a strange expression they couldn't decipher. Yoh was standing weakly in front of him, clutching his chest and breathing heavily. As Hao began taking a few slow steps forward, Yoh began gasping for air and struggled to stay on his feet.

"What's wrong with him?" Tamao asked frantically, "What's wrong with Yoh?"

Anna closed her eyes as tears began to escape her eyelids and she clutched her stomach without answering her.

"Now," Hao said calmly as he stopped several feet in front of him, "Allow me to explain to you why you're about to die."

Yoh stared at him fearfully but was unable to speak and continued gasping for air.

"You've reached your limit. You probably already knew this, but your hatred for me propelled you to keep going anyway," He paused and held out his hands, revealing a single flame in each palm, "Unlike you, my power is limitless. I can grow as much as I want to without tiring out my body. You don't have this luxury, and as a result you've forced your body to shut down."

"Hao," he whispered weakly as he clutched his chest with his hand.

"And at some point during this insanity, you developed the notion that you no longer needed a spirit ally. I'm assuming this because he's not here."

"No," Tamao whispered as tears rushed down her cheeks.

"My spirit is always with me," Hao continued, "But I guess that's not the main reason why we're in this situation."

The flames in his hands grew larger as he spoke, and Anna began taking a few steps forward as if in a trance.

"You were too ambitious, Yoh," he sighed, "You've defeated yourself, and now you'll pay the price."

"This can't be happening," Tamao whimpered, "It can't be."

"Hao," he repeated, pausing to groan as he stumbled.

"You could recover from this someday," Hao said as he prepared for his attack, "But now I have an obligation to finish you off."

_Was it supposed to end like this? Am I supposed to die?_ Random thoughts encircled Yoh's brain suddenly as he saw the fire approaching. He couldn't look away, nor could he block out Tamao's frightening screams from somewhere in the distance. He began contemplating all of his mistakes up until this point and regretted not listening to Anna or Tamao. An overwhelming feeling of sadness consumed him suddenly and he slowly closed his eyes as he could feel the heat surround him.

_I deserve to die. I'm sorry Tamao. I'm sorry...Anna._

_Anna._

_ANNA!_

Hao stopped his attack abruptly, dispelling the flames quickly around Yoh's body. He lowered his hands at his sides and stared at the ground with slight irritation. Tamao stared ahead in shock and fell to her knees after the flames dissipated.

Yoh was lying on his back, and he slowly opened his eyes with disbelief. The blond strands blocked most of his view of the surrounding area, and he could feel her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. Her breathing was faint, but still audible and she didn't speak.

"Anna," Tamao whispered weakly.

"Why..." Yoh whimpered as his eyes filled with tears, "Why did you do that!"

Tamao covered her mouth with her hands, and she was unable to restrain her tears. She approached them slowly but stopped abruptly when Hao advanced.

"Why did you do that, Anna!" Yoh repeated as his tears began choking his voice.

She mumbled something inaudible but then closed her eyes as her consciousness faded.

"Anna?" Tamao called fearfully.

"Anna!" Yoh cried hysterically, "Anna!"

Hao lifted her suddenly and held her securely in his arms as he began walking away from them. Yoh sat upright, but was unable to stand. Tamao knelt behind him and restrained him as he began screaming.

"Bring her back! You can't take her away from me again! You can't take her away!"

"Let him go, Yoh," Tamao whispered in an attempt to soothe him, "He can help her. She'll be okay."

Yoh's cries were uncontrollable and he allowed Tamao to hug him as they watched Hao disappear down the path. Tamao kissed him on the head softly and held him tighter until fatigue overwhelmed him and he collapsed. She sat silently for a few moments before whispering the words, "I'm sorry," in his ear.

Hao walked very slowly down the path with Anna in his arms. He stared at her face that was serene despite the ordeal and sighed as he clenched his teeth. She began blinking her eyes slowly and tried to move but fell back into her position and parted her lips.

"You put yourself in danger, Anna," he said softly, "You put the baby in danger."

She didn't respond so he continued.

"I won't ask why you did it; I know why. But..."

"I love you," she interrupted weakly without opening her eyes.

"You should save your energy," he whispered weakly.

She struggled again to speak, and this time she put as much energy as possible into her statement before completely losing consciousness.

"I love you, Yoh."

**THE END**

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**_Thank you for reading this story, and I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and share your thoughts._**

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_-_****_Pulchrite_**


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